The =internal iliac= or =hypogastric arteries= (Aa. hypogastricæ) result
from the bifurcation of the aorta under the fifth or sixth lumbar
vertebra. They diverge at an angle of about 60 degrees, and each passes
backward under the wing of the sacrum, then inclines downward on the
pelvic surface of the shaft of the ilium, and divides a little above the
psoas tubercle into iliaco-femoral and obturator arteries. The chief
branches are as follows:
[Illustration: