posterior segmental renal artery

The posterior segmental renal artery is a segmental renal artery that passes posterior to the renal pelvis and travels laterally in a roughly horizontal direction, supplying the posterior lobe of the kidney including most of the central-posterior surface but excluding the superior and inferior poles and a small posterolateral area.

It is located at the renal hilum, arising from the main renal artery and coursing posterior to the renal pelvis to supply the dorsal renal parenchyma.

Its function is to supply oxygenated blood to the posterior lobe of the kidney, encompassing the central-posterior renal surface while the superior, inferior, and anteroinferior territories are supplied by other segmental arteries.

Renal artery stenosis, renal tumors, and trauma may be associated with compromise of the posterior segmental renal artery, and its anatomy is a key consideration in partial nephrectomy and endourological procedures.

CT angiography and selective renal angiography are used to define the distribution of the posterior segmental renal artery and plan surgical or interventional approaches to the kidney.