Abstract: Objective    To study the anatomical characteristics of umbilical artery in male specimens, so as to provide theoretical support for ligation of umbilical artery in clinical bladder cancer resection. Methods    Nineteen adult male cadavers (38 sides) fixed by formalin were collected randomly. The starting point, course, external diameter and branches of the umbilical artery were observed and analyzed.    Results    The umbilical artery originated from the internal iliac artery. The outer diameter of umbilical artery was (3.02±0.30) mm. We found there were five branch types of the umbilical artery. Ⅰ. several superior vesical arteries, accounting for 52.6% (20 sides). Ⅱ. several superior vesical arteries and one inferior vesical artery, accounting for 28.9% (11 sides). Ⅲ. two superior bladder arteries and one common trunk vessel of the inferior bladder artery and the obturator artery, accounting for 5.3% (2 sides). Ⅳ. several superior vesical arteries and one obturator artery, accounting for 7.9% (3 sides). Ⅴ. two superior vesical arteries and one seminal vesicle artery, accounting for 5.3% (2 sides).    Conclusions    The starting site of the umbilical artery is fixed, the diameter of the starting end is narrow and the number of branches is varied.

Key words: Superior vesical artery,  ,  , Umbilical artery,  ,  ,  , Obturator artery