There are usually four pairs of lumbar arteries arising from the posterior surface of the abdominal aorta (Fig. 4.164). They run laterally and posteriorly over the bodies of the lumbar vertebrae, continue laterally, passing posterior to the sympathetic trunks and between the transverse processes of adjacent lumbar vertebrae, and reach the abdominal wall. From this point onward, they demonstrate a branching pattern similar to a posterior intercostal artery, which includes providing segmental branches that supply the spinal cord.