#bringiton

Dr. J, I am soooo ready for your OSPE questions:

BRANCHES OF THE AORTA
1. Aortic arch
(i) brachiocephalic trunk/innominate artery (it just sounds so much more romantic as the latter)
(ii) left common carotid
(iii) left subclavian

2. DESCENDING THORACIC AORTA
(i) bronchial branches
(ii) mediastinal
(iii) oesophageal
(iv) pericardial
(v) superior phrenic
-> also note that on the posterior, branches also present such as the posterior intercostal arteries and the subcostal artery

3. ABDOMINAL AORTA (once the aorta has passed the diaphragm through the aortic hiatus at T12)
(i) celiac trunk
(ii) superior mesenteric
(iii) R and L renal arteries
(iv) R and L gonadal arteries (testicular if you have a Y chromosome and ovarian if you have none)
(v) inferior mesenteric
(vi) R and L common iliac arteries
--> posterior branches such as the R and L lumbar arteries also present

postscript: I NEVER GOT TO USE THIS/SHOW OFF MY KNOWLEDGE. disgruntled noise.