Thoracoacromial artery
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| Artery: Thoracoacromial artery | |
|---|---|
| The scapular and circumflex arteries. | |
| Latin | arteria thoracoacromialis |
| Gray's | subject #149 588 |
| Source | axillary artery |
The thoracoacromial artery (a. thoracoacromialis; acromiothoracic artery; thoracic axis) is a short trunk, which arises from the forepart of the axillary artery, its origin being generally overlapped by the upper edge of the Pectoralis minor. Projecting forward to the upper border of this muscle, it pierces the coracoclavicular fascia and divides into four branches—pectoral, acromial, clavicular, and deltoid.
- The pectoral branch descends between the two Pectorales, and is distributed to them and to the mamma, anastomosing with the intercostal branches of the internal mammary and with the lateral thoracic.
- The acromial branch runs lateralward over the coracoid process and under the Deltoideus, to which it gives branches; it then pierces that muscle and ends on the acromion in an arterial network formed by branches from the transverse scapular, thoracoacromial, and posterior humeral circumflex arteries.
- The clavicular branch runs upward and medialward to the sternoclavicular joint, supplying this articulation, and the Subclavius.
- The deltoid (humeral) branch, often arising with the acromial, crosses over the Pectoralis minor and passes in the same groove as the cephalic vein, between the Pectoralis major and Deltoideus, and gives branches to both muscles.
One mnemonic used to remember the four branches is "Cadavers Are Dead People".
[edit] References
<references /> This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.
[edit] External links
- Norman/Georgetown lesson2nerartveinspectregion
- SUNY Labs 04:07-0101 - "Pectoral Region: Thoracoacromial Artery and its Branches"
- SUNY Figs 05:04-12 - "The axillary artery and its major branches shown in relation to major landmarks."
- Dictionary at eMedicine thoracoacromial+artery
