Superior phrenic artery
Encyclopedia
The superior phrenic arteries are small and arise from the lower part of the thoracic aorta
; they are distributed to the posterior part of the upper surface of the diaphragm
, and anastomose with the musculophrenic and pericardiacophrenic arteries.
Thoracic aorta
The thoracic aorta is contained in the posterior mediastinal cavity.It begins at the lower border of the fourth thoracic vertebra where it is continuous with the aortic arch, and ends in front of the lower border of the twelfth thoracic vertebra, at the aortic hiatus in the diaphragm where it...
; they are distributed to the posterior part of the upper surface of the diaphragm
Thoracic diaphragm
In the anatomy of mammals, the thoracic diaphragm, or simply the diaphragm , is a sheet of internal skeletal muscle that extends across the bottom of the rib cage. The diaphragm separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity and performs an important function in respiration...
, and anastomose with the musculophrenic and pericardiacophrenic arteries.