Rabbit is an experimental animal that is widely used to understand the etiology, progression, and treatment strategies of diseases related to the circulatory system. The creation of disease models related to vascular system is particularly preferred in performing surgeries and invasive ex,periments for education purpose. Though rabbit’s iliac arteries and their branches are vessels mostly encountered in these procedures, yet there are limited resources on the course and distribution of arteria (a.) iliaca interna. Therefore, seven male and seven female New Zealand rabbits have been used to elucidate the detailed ramification patterns of branches from the a. iliaca interna using the latex injection method. The a. iliaca interna ramified into a. umbilicalis, a. obturatoria, a. iliolumbalis, a. glutea cranialis, a. ovarica or a. prostatica, a. glutea caudalis, a. pudenda interna, a. perinealis ventralis, and a. caudalis lateralis. The branching pattern of the a. iliaca interna showed five variations. According to the findings of the recent study, the vessels supplying the pelvic wall were not originating from the a. glutea caudalis rather both visceral and parietal divisions were branching off the a. iliaca interna. So, it can be said that among domestic mammals, a. iliaca interna of the New Zealand rabbit is similar to ruminant and sus, that is, short pudendal type branching in terms of course and divisions. Hopefully, the information obtained in this study will make a contribution to future anatomical, interventional, and surgical studies using the New Zealand rabbit.
Cite this article as: Çavdır, Ö., & Turan, E. (2022). Examination of the course and branching of the arteria iliaca interna in New Zealand rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus L.). Acta Veterinaria Eurasia, 48(3), 200-210.