Which artery is the only vessel that courses posterior to the inferior vena cava?

• A. Left renal artery
• B. Right renal artery
• C. Common hepatic artery
• D. Inferior phrenic artery

Answer: (B)

Understanding the spatial relationships of retroperitoneal vessels helps explain why this artery is uniquely posterior to the IVC. The inferior vena cava sits on the right side of the spine, and the arteries supplying the kidneys arise from the aorta. The right renal artery takes a path that must pass behind the IVC to reach the right kidney, so it travels posterior to the IVC. This posterior relationship is distinctive among the options.

The other arteries have different trajectories: the left renal artery reaches the left kidney without a posterior pass behind the IVC in the typical course; the common hepatic artery runs toward the liver within the hepatoduodenal ligament and does not pass behind the IVC; the inferior phrenic arteries ascend to supply the diaphragm and do not course behind the IVC.