Thoracoacromial artery
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Artery: Thoracoacromial artery | |
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| The scapular and circumflex arteries. (Thoracoacromial branch of thoracoacromial labeled at upper right.) | |
| Latin | arteria thoracoacromialis |
| Gray's | subject #149 588 |
| Source | axillary artery |
| Dorlands/Elsevier | a_62/12159712 |
The thoracoacromial artery (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.
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[edit] Branches
Projecting forward to the upper border of the Pectoralis minor, it pierces the coracoclavicular fascia and divides into four branches—pectoral, acromial, clavicular, and deltoid.
| Branch | Description |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Clavicular branch | Runs upward and medialward to the sternoclavicular joint, supplying this articulation, and the Subclavius. |
| Deltoid (humeral) branch | Often arising with the acromial, it 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. |
[edit] Mnemonic
One mnemonic used to remember the four branches is "Cadavers Are Dead People".[1]
[edit] Additional images
 The axillary artery and its branches. |
[edit] References
[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
| Arteries of upper limbs |
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| AXILLARY: scapular anastomosis - 1st part superior thoracic - 2nd part thoracoacromial - lateral thoracic - 3rd part subscapular (circumflex scapular - thoracodorsal) - anterior humeral circumflex - posterior humeral circumflex
BRACHIAL: profunda brachii (radial collateral, medial collateral) - superior ulnar collateral - inferior ulnar collateral RADIAL: forearm radial recurrent - palmar carpal branch - superficial palmar branch - wrist dorsal carpal branch (dorsal carpal arch, dorsal metacarpal) - hand princeps pollicis - radial of index finger - deep palmar arch (palmar metacarpal) ULNAR: forearm anterior ulnar recurrent - posterior ulnar recurrent - common interosseous (anterior interosseous, posterior interosseous, interosseous recurrent) - wrist palmar carpal branch - dorsal carpal branch - hand superficial palmar arch (common palmar digital, proper palmar digital) - deep palmar branch - palmar carpal arch |
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.
