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circumflex iliac artery

circumflex iliac artery

8.0
A blood vessel in the lower belly that carries blood to the skin and a nearby thigh muscle
  • noun
  • /ˈsɜrkəmˌflɛks ˈɪliæk ˈɑrtəri/
  • Specialized
translation icon : arteria circunfleja ilíaca
  • Injury to the circumflex iliac artery can result in significant bleeding in the pelvic region.

Examples

  • - It's the superficial circumflex iliac artery.

  • During the surgery, the circumflex iliac artery was carefully preserved to maintain proper blood flow.

  • The circumflex iliac artery supplies oxygenated blood to parts of the abdominal wall and thigh.

Synonyms

arteria circumflexa ilium
vscircumflex iliac artery
  • Specialized
9.9

A blood vessel that gives blood to the lower belly wall, skin, and front thigh muscle

is explicitly located in the pelvis, adding an anatomical location

Surface Forms

Morphology

circumflex + iliac + artery

The term is compositionally built from Latin-derived parts: 'circumflex' (curving or bending around), 'iliac' (of the ilium/pelvic region) and 'artery' (a blood vessel). A learner who knows these constituents can transparently infer it denotes an artery that curves around the iliac/pelvic area, and anatomical naming conventions are regular and predictable across languages.

Etymology

Circumflex iliac artery literally describes the vessel: circumflex means 'bent around', iliac refers to the 'hip bone', and artery is a 'blood vessel'. So it is the blood vessel that curves around the hip and supplies the lower belly and nearby muscles, which helps you remember its current meaning.