Short gastric arteries

The short gastric arteries consist of from five to seven small branches, which arise from the end of the splenic artery, and from its terminal divisions.

They pass from left to right, between the layers of the gastrolienal ligament, and are distributed to the greater curvature of the stomach, anastomosing with branches of the left gastric and left gastroepiploic arteries.

Unlike the gastroepiploics and the left and right gastric arteries, the short gastric arteries have poor anastomoses if the splenic artery is blocked.