The inferior mesenteric artery originates at the LIII vertebra.
The aorta bifurcates into the right and left common iliac arteries at the level of the LIV vertebra.
The left and right common iliac veins join to form the inferior vena cava at the LV vertebral level.
Using abdominal quadrants to locate
The abdomen can be divided into quadrants by a vertical median plane and a horizontal transumbilical plane, which passes through the umbilicus (Fig. 4.181):