End artery End artery An end artery (or terminal artery) is an artery that is the only supply of oxygenated blood to a portion of tissue. Arteries which do not anastomose with their neighbors are called end arteries. There is no collateral circulation present besides the end arteries. Examples of an end artery include the splenic artery that supplies the spleen and the renal artery that supplies the kidneys. End arteries are of particular interest to medicine where they supply the heart or brain because if the arteries are occluded, the tissue is completely cut off, leading to a myocardial infarction or
Left anterior descending artery the right aortic sinus. In 78% of cases, it reaches the apex of the heart. The LAD gives off two types of branches: "septals" and "diagonals". The artery supplies the anterolateral myocardium, apex, and interventricular septum. The LAD typically supplies 45-55% of the left ventricle (LV) and is therefore considered the most critical vessel in terms of myocardial blood supply. The "widow maker" is an alternate name for the anterior interventricular branch of the left coronary artery. The name "widow maker" may also apply to the left coronary artery or severe occlusions to that artery. This term is used because