Circulatory Anastomosis - Physiologic

Physiologic

Arterio-arterial anastomoses include actual ones (e.g. palmar arch, plantar arch) and potential ones (e.g. coronary arteries and cortical branch of cerebral arteries).

There are many examples of normal arteri-arterial anastomoses in the body. However clinically important examples include:

• Circle of Willis (in the brain)
• scapular anastomosis (for the subclavian vessels)
• joint anastomoses - clinically very important. Almost all joints receive anastomotic blood supply from more than one source. Examples include knee (and geniculate arteries), shoulder (and circumflex humeral), hip (and circumflex iliac) and ankle. See also patellar network.
• pelvic anastomoses
• abdominal anastomoses
• hand and foot anastomoses (which include the palmar and plantar arches)
• coronary: anterior and posterior inter-ventricular arteries of the heart