Quick Facts
Origin: lobar branches of segmental arteries;
Branches: arcuate arteries;
Distribution: parenchyma of kidney (Dorland, 2011).
Related parts of the anatomy
Structure and/or Key Features
Lobar arteries arise as initial branches of the segmental arteries of the kidney. Typically, one lobar artery will course towards a renal pyramid, before branching into interlobar arteries.
As each lobar artery reaches a renal pyramid, it divides into two or three interlobar arteries. The interlobar arteries subsequently course around a renal pyramid, traveling towards the cortex. At the corticomedullary junction, the interlobar arteries divide into arcuate arteries which diverge at right angles.
Function
Interlobar arteries provide blood supply to the renal lobes.
References
Dorland, W. (2011) Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary. 32nd edn. Philadelphia, USA: Elsevier Saunders.
