[Variations in the origin of the artery of Adamkiewicz]

Variations of the origin of the medullary artery. The purpose of this study was to define the origin of the medullary artery through medullary angiography in order to prevent paraplegia during surgery of the thoraco-abdominal aorta. Twenty-eight patients, candidate to thoracoabdominal aorta operations, have been studied for the study of the origin of the medullary artery and its eventual reimplantation during surgery. The artery has been localized in 24 of the 28 patients. In 22 cases (78.6%) it originated from an intercostal artery between D8 and D12, while in 6 cases (21.4%) it originated from a lumbar artery between L1 and L2. In 23 (82.1%) cases it originated from the left side, while only in 5 (17.9) from the right side. Although medullary artery originates more frequently at the thoracic level, particularly from the left D9 and D10, its variability is important, and its localization before thoraco-abdominal aortic surgery is often desirable.