Student Scholars Day

Variation of Arterial Branching Patterns in the Human Body: The Inferior Gluteal Artery and the Right Hepatic Artery

While human anatomy is often presented as a constant structural form, human cadaver dissection has repeatedly shown that variation in the structure is commonplace. Demonstrated anatomy shows that the inferior gluteal artery is the largest terminal branch of the anterior division of the internal iliac artery. Furthermore, the superior gluteal artery is a terminal branch of the posterior division of the internal iliac artery. Here we present an example of an unusual variant where the inferior gluteal artery arises from the superior gluteal artery, and both can be considered terminal branches of the posterior division of the internal iliac artery. In further demonstration of arterial variation, an unusual occurrence of the right hepatic artery arising from the superior mesenteric artery is presented.