Figure 1.

An illustration of the different nomenclatures used in the literature compared with the grouping method used in this study. (A) Illustrates how the lumbar splanchnic nerves (LSNs) are classically named as per the sympathetic trunk ganglia from which they originate (Hollinshead, 1971; Mirilas & Skandalakis, 2010). (B) Illustrates a more contemporary strategy used in the primary literature where LSNs are named in order relative to the left renal vein (Beveridge et al. 2016a,b); an asterisk (*) indicates portions of the plexus not examined in these studies. To accurately group alike LSNs for comparison in this study, the retroaortic LSNs were grouped and the remaining (above the aortic bifurcation) were grouped in ascending order (C).