Comparison of the Risk Factors for Arterial Stiffness between Extremity Muscular and Abdominal Elastic Arteries

PURPOSE: Muscular artery differs from elastic artery in physical properties and constituents of the arterial wall. To investigate the difference between muscular and elastic arteries, we measured the pulse wave velocities (PWVs) in lower extremity muscular arteries (femoral ankle PWV, faPWV) and abdominal elastic arteries (brachial femoral PWV, bfPWV), and searched for the relationships between the PWVs of muscular, elastic arteries and the risk factors of arteriosclerosis. METHODS: 184 normal volunteers were enrolled in the study. Among them, the ratios of male/female, smoker/non-smoker, and hypertension/normal were 81/103, 66/118, and 63/121, respectively. Using volume plethysmography, faPWV and bfPWV were measured. The risk factors of arteriosclerosis in this study were age, gender, smoking, hypertension, body mass index, low density lipoprotein, high density lipoprotein, triglyceride, hemoglobin A1C, and white blood cell. RESULTS: The PWVs of lower extremity muscular arteries (faPWVs) were significantly faster than those of abdominal elastic arteries (bfPWVs) (right, P<0.001; left, P<0.001) Multiple regression analysis revealed that the independent risk factors of the PWV were age (right, P<0.001; left, P<0.001) and gender (right, P=0.008; left, p=0.014) in abdominal elastic arteries. However, in lower extremity muscular arteries, hypertension (right, P<0.001; left, P<0.001) as well as age (right, P<0.001; left, P<0.001) and gender (right, P=0.009; left, P=0.001) were other significant independent risk factors. CONCLUSION: The PWVs of lower extremity muscular arteries were significantly faster than those of abdominal elastic arteries. The significance of hypertension in faPWV suggests that hypertension is an important risk factor in inducing arterial stiffness, especially in lower extremity muscular arteries.

Microanatomy of the Artery of the External Ocular Rectus Muscles: I. Origin of the Rectus Artery

Intactness of arterial supplies is necessary for the external ocular muscles to move properly, however the anatomy of the ocular muscular arteries has not been clarified Therefore, 80 orbits of Koreans were dissected under the surgical microscope and the origins of the rectus arteries were observed. The average numbers of the arising site of the artery to the superior rectus, the lateral rectus, the medial rectus, and the inferior rectus were 1.7, 1.2, 2.2 and 1.1, respectively. The superior rectus artery arose from the superolateral muscular artery in 33.3%. The lateral rectus artery arose from the superolateral muscular arterey in 43.8%, from the inferior muscluar artery in 24.8%. The medial rectus artery arose from the inferior muscular artery in 43.1%, from the superomedial musculal artery in 16.8% and from the ophthalmic artery as a solitary branch in 32.9%. The inferior rectus artery arose from the inferior muscular artery in 83.1% and from the inferolateral muscular artery in 13.5%.

Microanatomy of the Artery of the External Ocular Rectus Muscles: I. Origin of the Rectus Artery

Intactness of arterial supplies is necessary for the external ocular muscles to move properly, however the anatomy of the ocular muscular arteries has not been clarified Therefore, 80 orbits of Koreans were dissected under the surgical microscope and the origins of the rectus arteries were observed. The average numbers of the arising site of the artery to the superior rectus, the lateral rectus, the medial rectus, and the inferior rectus were 1.7, 1.2, 2.2 and 1.1, respectively. The superior rectus artery arose from the superolateral muscular artery in 33.3%. The lateral rectus artery arose from the superolateral muscular arterey in 43.8%, from the inferior muscluar artery in 24.8%. The medial rectus artery arose from the inferior muscular artery in 43.1%, from the superomedial musculal artery in 16.8% and from the ophthalmic artery as a solitary branch in 32.9%. The inferior rectus artery arose from the inferior muscular artery in 83.1% and from the inferolateral muscular artery in 13.5%.

Variation of the External Ocular Muscular Artery

The muscular branches of the ophthalmic artery have been described as the superior muscular artery and the inferior muscular artery. However, the definition of the muscluar arteries and their distribution has not been clarified. Therefore, the muscular branches of the ophthalmic artery in 80 orbits of Korean adults were observed under the surgical microscope. The inferior muscular artery was observed in 87.5% of the materials and the superior muscular artery was observed in 32.5%. The commen muscular branch distributing to the adjacent two muscles was observed more frequently(81.3%). The superior muscular artery and the common muscular branches were similar in their distribution according to their site of origin. Therefore, they were classified into the superolateral and superomedial arteries. The superolateral muscular artery was observed in 58.6%. and the superomedial muscular artery was observed in 71.3%. This study suggests that the ocular muscular arteries are better classified into 3 groups, namely inferior, superolateral, and superomedial muscular arteries.

Variation of the External Ocular Muscular Artery

The muscular branches of the ophthalmic artery have been described as the superior muscular artery and the inferior muscular artery. However, the definition of the muscluar arteries and their distribution has not been clarified. Therefore, the muscular branches of the ophthalmic artery in 80 orbits of Korean adults were observed under the surgical microscope. The inferior muscular artery was observed in 87.5% of the materials and the superior muscular artery was observed in 32.5%. The commen muscular branch distributing to the adjacent two muscles was observed more frequently(81.3%). The superior muscular artery and the common muscular branches were similar in their distribution according to their site of origin. Therefore, they were classified into the superolateral and superomedial arteries. The superolateral muscular artery was observed in 58.6%. and the superomedial muscular artery was observed in 71.3%. This study suggests that the ocular muscular arteries are better classified into 3 groups, namely inferior, superolateral, and superomedial muscular arteries.