The origin of the inferior epigastric artery in relation to the inguinal ligament in various periods of human life

The aim of the study was to evaluate the origin of the inferior epigastric artery, in relation to the inguinal ligament, in various stages of human life. The study was conducted on randomly selected 220 non-fixed cadavers, including 110 males and 110 females, from the age of the 7th month of prenatal life, to 82 years. In all examined bodies, the inferior epigastric artery originated mostly from the external iliac, or less commonly, from the femoral artery. Three types of origin were observed: above, at the level or below the ligament. In males, the lowest incidence of typical anatomical origin, over the ligament, was observed in the group aged 60-69 years. Herein, the artery departed usually on the level of the ligament. The highest incidence of typical anatomical origin was found during the prenatal period and among children. Similar data, but with higher asymmetry, was revealed among females. The lowest incidence of typical origin was seen on the left side in the group aged 60-69. Less commonly, the artery originated at the level or occasionally below the ligament. In conclusion, the origin of the inferior epigastric artery differs throughout prenatal and postnatal life, in both sexes. However, it is usually located above the inguinal ligament.