Variation and Surgical Anatomy of the Deep Circumflex Iliac Artery
A quantitative synthesis of DCIA origin, calibre, pedicle length, branching and perforator anatomy, with a clinically important distinction between parent-vessel and position-based definitions of origin.
The DCIA is usually reliable in calibre and usable length, but not in origin or branching.
Thirty-one studies were included; 18 contributed to at least one meta-analysis. The pooled evidence supports preoperative vascular imaging when perforator anatomy or a low/femoral origin matters.
Verified and stratified before pooling
The review used PRISMA 2020, AQUA risk-of-bias assessment, random-effects models and explicit method/definition stratification.
Records identified
Database search before duplicate removal.
Included studies
Qualitative synthesis.
Meta-analytic studies
Contributed to at least one pooled endpoint.
Verified units
Specimens, sides or cases in the countable pooled set.
The answer changes with the question
Click the definition to see why “where the DCIA arises” cannot be reduced to a single percentage.
External iliac artery in 96%
Four vessel-defined studies (n=393) found pooled EIA origin in 96% of cases (95% CI 89–100%). Femoral/low origins remained uncommon but clinically relevant.
What is relatively stable—and what is not
The most useful surgical synthesis is the contrast between consistent calibre/length and more variable origin, branching and perforator anatomy.