Complete Vascular Network of the Uterus

Description

Arcuate arteries course circumferentially within the thick myometrium, forming a ringlike network that sends radial branches inward toward the endometrium and outward toward the serosa. Uterine arteries approach the cervicouterine junction and ascend along the lateral uterine wall, where they give off these arcuate vessels that anastomose superiorly near the fundus. Venous channels mirror the arterial pattern as an interlacing uterine venous plexus, with larger-caliber veins tracking laterally toward the parametrial drainage pathways. Dense, layered, and spatially ordered. This profile matters because the uterine vascular bed is the operative field for both hemorrhage control and fertility-preserving surgery. Uterine artery ligation, uterine artery embolization for symptomatic leiomyomas, and postpartum hemorrhage management all depend on understanding how arcuate and radial vessels traverse the myometrium and where collateral flow can persist via fundal anastomoses. The same anatomy explains why curettage and cesarean delivery can precipitate brisk bleeding when radial vessels are disrupted, and why abnormal placentation (placenta accreta spectrum) becomes dangerous when chorionic villi invade beyond the decidua into highly perfused myometrium. Use this illustration in obstetrics and gynecology teaching blocks on uterine blood supply, in reproductive anatomy atlases, and in surgical counseling materials for myomectomy, hysterectomy, and interventional radiology procedures such as uterine artery embolization. It also supports journal figures discussing uterine perfusion, implantation biology, and the vascular remodeling of pregnancy. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.