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[Location of the aortic bifurcation in man and its practical significance in vascular surgery]

R Voboril1

  • 1Anatomisches Institut, der Medizinischen Fakultät Hradec Králové der Karls-Universität Prag, Tschechische Republik.

Zentralblatt Fur Chirurgie
|March 20, 2001
PubMed

Insights

The aortic bifurcation shifts lower in the body with age, moving from the L3 vertebra in fetuses to L4 in adults. This age-related caudal shift can extend to L5/S1 in older individuals, impacting surgical approaches.

Area of Science:

  • Anatomy
  • Vascular Biology
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • The anatomical position of the abdominal aorta's bifurcation is crucial for vascular surgery.
  • Understanding age-related changes in aortic anatomy is essential for patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the age-related positional changes of the aortic bifurcation.
  • To determine the clinical significance of these anatomical shifts.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of arteriography data from 300 subjects across various age groups.
  • Inclusion of 4 human fetuses in the study cohort.
  • Statistical analysis of bifurcation position relative to vertebral levels.

Main Results:

  • A significant caudal (downward) shift in aortic bifurcation position was observed with aging.
  • In fetuses, bifurcation is at L3; in adults, it typically resides at L4.
  • In advanced age (over 50), the bifurcation can descend to the L5/S1 disc level.

Conclusions:

  • The position of the aortic bifurcation changes significantly throughout a human lifespan.
  • These age-dependent anatomical variations have implications for surgical interventions involving the abdominal aorta.

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