Organ
Ureter
A peristaltic connection from kidney to bladder
High-yield
Traditional teaching lists the pelvic junction, iliac crossing and bladder junction as three narrowings. CT studies do not support the iliac crossing as a consistent major stone-impaction site; ureteral geometry and stone location vary.
Overview
Each ureter is a muscular, urothelial-lined tube that propels urine from renal pelvis to bladder. Its abdominal and pelvic course lies in extraperitoneal tissue. Near the bladder it passes obliquely through the wall, helping resist backward flow during filling.
Reference facts
- Location
- Usually about 25–30 cm long; descends over psoas, crosses the iliac-vessel region and follows the pelvic sidewall toward the bladder.
- Parts
- Abdominal, pelvic and intramural regions; the final oblique segment traverses the bladder wall.
- Blood supply
- A longitudinal adventitial network receives renal, gonadal, aortic and iliac branches, with vesical and sex-specific pelvic arterial contributions distally.
- Innervation
- Renal, aortic and hypogastric plexuses supply autonomic pathways; pain afferents commonly enter T11–L2.
- Venous/Lymphatic drainage
- Veins accompany arterial routes. Lymph drains toward lumbar nodes proximally and common, internal or external iliac groups farther distally.
- Relations
- Gonadal vessels cross anteriorly in the abdomen. Near the bladder, the ductus deferens crosses above in males and the uterine artery crosses above near the cervix in females.
- Function
- Moves urine by coordinated smooth-muscle contractions; the oblique bladder-wall passage contributes to an antireflux mechanism.
Mnemonic
Near the bladder, the ureter passes below the uterine artery or below the ductus deferens.
Clinical correlation
Ureteric obstruction can refer pain from flank toward groin through lower thoracic and upper lumbar afferents. Segmental vessels join in the adventitia, so damage to periureteric tissue can impair blood supply even without cutting the ureter itself.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the ureter located?
Usually about 25–30 cm long; descends over psoas, crosses the iliac-vessel region and follows the pelvic sidewall toward the bladder.
What does the ureter do?
Moves urine by coordinated smooth-muscle contractions; the oblique bladder-wall passage contributes to an antireflux mechanism.
What are the parts of the ureter?
Abdominal, pelvic and intramural regions; the final oblique segment traverses the bladder wall.
What is the blood supply of the ureter?
A longitudinal adventitial network receives renal, gonadal, aortic and iliac branches, with vesical and sex-specific pelvic arterial contributions distally.