Variations in the origin of iliolumbar artery with its clinical significance

Introduction: The Iliolumbar artery mainly arises from the posterior division of the internal iliac artery. It extends oblique superiorly and laterally in front of the sacroiliac joint and lumbosacral trunk. It crosses the obturator nerve and external iliac vessels & reaches the medial edge of the psoas major. The aim of our study was to know the origin variability of the Iliolumbar artery. This helps to prevent any iatrogenic injury during various surgeries. Materials and Methods: 50 formalin-fixed adult human pelvic halves with known sex were procured from the Department of Anatomy, Medical College, Baroda. Site of origin of the Iliolumbar Artery was identified. Results: In the current study, we observed that the origin of the Iliolumbar Artery was from the posterior division of IIA in 52%, 38% from the trunk of the internal iliac artery, 4% from the single trunk with obturator artery from posterior division, and 6% absent. Conclusion: The variable origins of the ILA from different branches of the internal iliac artery should be taken into account during the surgical procedures involving the lower abdominal & pelvic region so as to modify the surgical tactics to prevent undesired hemorrhagic complications