After having crossed the diaphragmatic channel, the aorta belongs to the abdominal area. Applied on the vertebral level, it is located behind the intestinal mass. The abdominal aorta moves vertically in bottom however, the diaphragmatic opening being a little on the left of the line of centers, one can say that the abdominal aorta direction continues the thoracic aorta , and only on the level of the fourth lumbar vertebra it becomes exactly median thus moves slightly on the right.
Relations
Ahead, immediately at its entry in the abdominal cavity, the aorta is surrounded by a fibrous and nervous plexus very abundant the solar plexus (French: plexus cœliaque, solar plexus, Latin: plexus coeliacus); moreover, it remains in contact on a certain length with the collateral branches which it emits and which are detached some very obliquely.
At the angle formed by the mesenteric artery (French: mesenterique) upward and the former face of the aorta, comes to place the renal vein (French: veine rénale) left which crosses the trunk of the vessel perpendicularly. This former face of the abdominal aorta is in from top to bottom immediate relation with the pancreas (union of the head and body), the duodenum (third portion, horizontal portion), the mesentery which crosses it obliquely and in the thickness of the two blades of which are the higher vessels mesenteric with many lymphatic ganglia.
On the right the aorta is skirted by the vena cava: this one, at its origin, is directly coupled with the right side of the artery little by little it moves away from there, and on the level of the second lumbar one, it is separated by from it the right pillar from the diaphragm and the Spiegel lobule (synonymous: segment I).
On the left the left face of the abdominal aorta answers the internal edge of the kidney and the left capsule suprarenal. The higher end of the kidney is brought closer to the artery which is separated from the lower end by the small basin. Below the small basin (English: renal pelvis, Latin: pelvis renalis), the ureter (French: uretère, Latin: ureter) goes down the aorta parallel to.
Behind, the abdominal aorta rests on the second, third and fourth lumbar vertebrae, covered large former common vertebral ligament. Of each with dimensions are the arcades of the psoas which give passage to the arteries and veins lumbar and the communicating rami Like the thoracic intercostals, the lumbar intercostals are born very close to the line of centers they thus have an retro-aortic way several millimeters. The trunk of the sympathetic nervous system follows the former face of the column, of each with dimensions of the aorta.
To the level of the fourth lumbar vertebra, the aorta gives two branches, known as final, the primitive iliac arteries.
