Which statement correctly describes an angiosome’s relationship to a source artery?

Which statement correctly describes an angiosome’s relationship to a source artery?

• A. An angiosome is a 3-dimensional region fed by a source artery
• B. An angiosome is defined by venous drainage
• C. Angiosomes are defined by nerve supply
• D. An angiosome is a random tissue region

Answer: (A)

The concept being tested is that an angiosome is a discrete, three-dimensional block of tissue that receives its blood supply from a single source artery and the downstream branches that feed that region. This territorial view explains why tissue viability hinges on the patency and flow within that specific artery, since the entire angiosome relies on that inflow for oxygen and nutrients across skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle, and even bone within that zone. Venous drainage and nerve supply are separate systems and do not define the boundaries of an angiosome, which is why descriptions focusing on drainage or innervation don’t describe the vascular territory. In short, an angiosome is a defined 3D region fed by a source artery.

The concept being tested is that an angiosome is a discrete, three-dimensional block of tissue that receives its blood supply from a single source artery and the downstream branches that feed that region. This territorial view explains why tissue viability hinges on the patency and flow within that specific artery, since the entire angiosome relies on that inflow for oxygen and nutrients across skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle, and even bone within that zone. Venous drainage and nerve supply are separate systems and do not define the boundaries of an angiosome, which is why descriptions focusing on drainage or innervation don’t describe the vascular territory. In short, an angiosome is a defined 3D region fed by a source artery.