The abdominal aorta is a direct continuation of the descending aorta. It is just medial to the IVC. The AA has 10 branches:

  1. inferior phrenic
  2. celiac
  3. superior mesenteric
  4. middle suprarenal
  5. renal
  6. gonadal
  7. lumbar
  8. inferior mesenteric
  9. median sacral
  10. common iliac