Since the last decade, the frequency of anterior lumbar surgeries has dramatically increased for anterior interbody fusion and artificial disk arthroplasty. In this approach, the surgeons frequently encountered complicated neurovascular anatomy, which hindered the wide exposure of the intervertebral disk. Until the last decade, surgeons had preoperatively referred only to the basically described vascular anatomy in textbooks.

To help the surgeon in this clinical issue, the current authors conducted this computed tomography (CT) angiographic study.

In 7 patients (14.6%), the abdominal aortas were located in the right anterior one-third of the vertebra. In 26 patients (54.2%), they were in the left two-thirds of the anterior vertebral surface, and in 15 patients (31.3%), they were in the middle. In 5 patients, they were located in the extreme left margin of the body.

It was found that there is variant vascular anatomy, not described in the textbooks.

Moon M-S. Anatomical Location, Running Pattern, and Bifurcation Level of Abdominal Aorta over the Lumbosacral Spine: Computed Tomography Angiographic Study. J Spinal Surg 2017;4(3):97-101.