Origin and initial course of the renal arteries: a radiological study

The aim of this study was to determine the topography of the origin, implantation angle and initial course of the renal arteries in the transverse and frontal planes, from a prospective analysis of angiograms and helical CT-scans of 40 patients. In the frontal plane, the implantation angles of the right and left renal arteries were 73.8 +/- 17 degrees and 65.6 +/- 16 degrees respectively; 17.9% of the right renal arteries were straight compared with only 5% of the left ones. The first sinuosity was observed to be at a distance greater than the aortic diameter for 43.6% of right renal arteries and at a distance less than the aortic diameter for 62.5% for the left renal a. In the transverse plane, the right renal a. had an implantation angle of 65.6 +/- 15.7 degrees compared with 95.7 +/- 16.85% for the left renal a. The artery was rectilinear in 2.6% of the cases on the right side, and in 2.5% of the cases on the left. The first sinuosity occurred before the lateral margin of the spine was reached in 60.5% of right renal arteries and after the margin of psoas major muscle for 55% of left renal arteries. A knowledge of the anatomy of the origin and initial course of the renal arteries is important when considering vessel dilatation and the implantation of stents in the renal arteries. No correlation was observed between the origin, sinuosity or angulation of the renal arteries which could aid interventional procedures.