title: Extraforaminal lumbar arterial anatomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are few studies carried out to reveal lumbar arterial anatomy. The studies of vascular anatomy of the lumbar zone are usually based on the angiographic imaging methods and barium injected radiographic sections of human specimens.
  
  
  METHODS
  Upon the recent breakthroughs in the microscopic anatomic dissections, the vascular structure of this zone is examined in 16 cadavers. Arterial anatomies of the extraforaminal zones of 80 lumbar vertebral objects were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In each segment, lumbar artery, extraforaminal branches of the lumbar artery and the spinal (foraminal) branch were described. The spinal branch is originated from lumbar artery and extends as the dorsal branch. The dorsal branch is divided into 4 branches: ganglionic, transverse, ascending, and descending. Diameters of the lumbar artery, spinal, dorsal, and ganglionic branches were measured at each stage. The mean diameter of the lumbar artery was 2.7 mm, the dorsal branch was 2.0 mm, the foraminal branch was 1.9 mm, and the ganglionic branch was 1.0 mm, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge of lumbar arterial anatomy is needed for carrying out a successful surgical operation and reducing complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara Unversity, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sukru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caglar
authors.forename: Habibullah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dolgun
authors.forename: Hasan Caglar
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Ugur
authors.forename: Fuat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Torun
authors.forename: Ayhan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Attar
authors.forename: Aysun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uz
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tekdemir
authors.forename: Alaittin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elhan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008161:Lumbosacral Region / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology*