ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the more proximal anatomy of the upper and lower extremities, specifically to the level of the elbow and the knee, which are the territories that are amenable to endovascular stent procedures. The anatomy of the peripheral vascular system can be complex. The superior mesenteric artery is responsible for the vascular supply of the small intestine, right colon and the transverse colon. The arterial vessels of the head and neck are derived from the three main branches of the aortic arch. The aortic arch is the left common carotid artery. The common carotid arteries rarely give rise to any significant arterial branches prior to the carotid bifurcation. At the level of third or fourth cervical vertebral body or the upper border of the thyroid cartilage, the common carotid arteries bifurcate into the external and internal carotid arteries. The most distal anterior branch of the aorta is the inferior mesenteric artery, arising several centimeters above the aortic bifurcation.
