Umbilical artery the umbilical cord. The umbilical arteries surround the urinary bladder and then carry all the deoxygenated blood out of the fetus through the umbilical cord. Inside the placenta, the umbilical arteries connect with each other at a distance of approximately 5 mm from the cord insertion in what is called the "Hyrtl anastomosis". Subsequently, they branch into chorionic arteries or "intraplacental fetal arteries". The umbilical arteries are actually the latter of the internal iliac arteries (anterior division of) that supply the hind limbs with blood and nutrients in the fetus. The umbilical arteries are one of two arteries in the
Medial umbilical ligament Medial umbilical ligament The medial umbilical ligament (or cord of umbilical artery) is a paired structure found in human anatomy. It is on the deep surface of the anterior abdominal wall, and is covered by the medial umbilical folds ("plicae umbilicales mediales"). It should not be confused with the median umbilical ligament, a different structure that represents the remnant of the embryonic urachus. It represents the remnant of the fetal umbilical arteries, which serves no purpose in humans after birth, except for the initial part that becomes the adult superior vesical artery. It may be used as a landmark for