Lienal artery in New Zealand rabbit: Anatomical study for experimental research and surgical practice

Abstract

In the study 30 specimens of adult New Zealand rabbits, 13 males and 17 females were used. After fixed with 10% formaldehyde solution and performing the injections with latex solution stained with pigment, the animals were dissected to identify the disposition of the lienal arteries. The statistical analysis was made by the Qui-square (X²) test, with a 5% level of significance, to test if the nullity hypothesis is true for the of lienal artery main ramifications. The relations between the lienal artery and spleen length with rostrum-sacral length were calculated by the correlation coefficient “r” varying between -1 and +1, that is, -1 ? r ?+1. The mean length of the lienal artery was 5.96 cm. In all (100%) dissected rabbits the lienal artery, originated directly from the celiac artery as an only one artery giving different numbers of branches to the spleen: one branch in seven (23.3%) animals, two branches in seven (23.3%) animals, three branches in 10 (33.3%) animals, four branches in four (13.3%) animals and five branches in two (6.7%) animals. From the spleen, the lienal artery gave different numbers of branches to the stomach greater curvature: one branch in seven (23.3%) animals, two in four (13.3%) animals, three in five (16.7%) animals, four in three (10%), and five in only one (3.3%) animal. Positive correlation was observed between the lienal artery and spleen length with the rostrum-sacral length. The number of lienal artery branches is not gender dependent.