Vol 63, No 4 (2004)
Case report
Published online: 2004-09-16
The persistence of the sciatic artery
Folia Morphol 2004;63(4):515-518.
Abstract
The persistent sciatic artery (PSA) is a rare anatomical variant where the internal
iliac artery and the axial artery of the embryo provide the major supply of the
lower limb, the superficial femoral artery being usually poorly developed or absent.
We describe an extremely large right PSA in a 79-year-old male cadaver
during a medical gross anatomy course, with simultaneous existence of a hypoplastic
superficial and deep femoral artery. The PSA, which was a continuation
of the anterior division of the right internal iliac artery, entered the buttock
through the greater sciatic foramen situated in the gluteal region laterally to the
sciatic nerve and in the mid thigh medially to the same nerve, becoming in the
popliteal fossa the popliteal artery. Neither the superficial nor the deep femoral
artery had communication with the popliteal artery. Because the PSA in our
study was the only blood supply to the lower limb, we present the embryologic
origins and the clinical anatomy of this artery.
Keywords: persistencesciatic arteryanatomy
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