External iliac artery

The external iliac artery is a lateral bifurcation of the common iliac artery. It is the main blood supply to the lower limb. The external iliac artery travels along the medial edge of the iliopsoas muscle inferior to the inguinal ligament, where it is renamed the femoral artery. The external iliac artery gives off two major branches which play an important role in the bloodsupply of the inferior portion of the anterolateral abdominal wall. The two branches are the inferior epigastric artery and the deep circumflex iliacartery. The external iliac artery also has very small branches that help supply the psoas major muscle and the nearby lymph nodes.