Axillary Artery

Introducion
•Axillary artery is the continuation of the subclavian
artery .
•It extends from the outer border of the first rib to the lower
border of the teres major muscle.
•It continues as the brachial artery.
• Its direction varies with the position of the arm.
• The pectoralis minor muscle crosses it and divides it into
three part.
(i) First part, superior (proximal) to the muscle.
(ii) Second part, posterior (deep) to the muscle.
(iii) Third part, inferior (distal) to the muscle.
Axillary Artery: divided
Subclavian A.
into three parts

Part 1 (proximal)
one branch

Part 2
(intermediate) two
branches.
Brachial A.
Part 3 (distal) three
branches.
Relations
First part:-
Anteriorly:-
Skin.
Superficial fascia, platysma and supraclavicular nerve.
Deep fascia.
Clavipectoral fascia with cephalic vein, lateral
pectoral nerve, thoroco acoromial vessel.
Lateral and medial pectoral nerve.
Posteriorly:-
First intercostal space with the external intercostal
muscle
First and second digitations of the serratus anterior with
nerve to serratus anterior.
Medial cord of brachial plexus with medial pectoral branch.
Laterally:-
Lateral and posterior cord of brachial plexus.
Medially:-
Axillary vein.
Second part:-
Anteriorly-
Skin.
Superficial fascia
Deep fascia.
Pectoralis major and minor.
Posteriorly:-
Posterior cord of brachial plexus.
Coracobrachialis.
Medially:-
Medial cord of brachial plexus.
Medial pectoral nerve.
Axillary vein.
Laterally:-
Lateral cord of brachial plexus.
Third part:-
Anteriorly-
Skin, Superficial fascia and deep fascia.
 pectoralis major and medial root of the median nerve.
Posteriorly:-
Radial nerve.
Axillary nerve in the upper part.
Subscapularis in the upper part.
Tendons of the latissmus dorsi and teres major in lower part.
Laterally:-
Corocobrachialis.
Musculocutaneous nerve in the upper part.
Lateral root of median nerve in the upper part.
Trunk of the median nerve in the lower part.
Medially
(i) Axillary vein
(ii) Medial cutaneous nerve of the forearm and ulnar nerve,
between the axillary artery and vein.
(iii) Medial cutaneous nerve of arm, medial to the axillary
vein.
Branches
The axillary artery gives six branches,
 One branch arises from the first part- Superior thoracic
artery
 Two branches from the second part- Thoraco acromial
and lateral thoracic artery.
 Third branches from the third part- Subscapular, anterior
circumflex humeral and posterior circumflex humeral
1. Superior thoracic artery :-
 Superior thoracic artery is a very small branch which
arises from the first part of the axillary artery(near the
subclavius).
 It runs downward, forwards and medially, passes between
the two pectoral muscles, and ends by supplying these
muscles and the thoracic wall.
2.Thoracoacromial (Acromithoracic) Artery:-
 Thoracoacromial artery is a branch from the second part
of the axillary artery.
 It emerges at the upper border of the pectoral is minor,
pierces the clavipectoral fascia, and soon divides into the
following four terminal branches.
Axillary Artery: First Part
From lateral border of 1st rib to
medial border of Pectoralis Major
M.
Named Branch:
Suprior Thoracic
A. (to external
thoracic body wall)
Supplies blood to
2 pectoralis
muscle and
thoracic wall (first
and second
intercostal spaces)
1. Pectoral branch.
2. Deltoid branch.
3. Acromial branch.
4. Clavicular branch.
(a) The pectoral branches passes between the pectoral
muscle, and supplies these muscles as well as breast.
(b) The deltoid branch runs in the delto pectoral groove .
(c) The acromial branch crosses the coracoid process and
ends by joining the anastomosis over the acromion.
(d) The clavicular branch runs supero medially deep to the
pectoral is major, and supplies the sternoclavicular joint
and subclavius.
Axillary Artery: Second part Thoracoacromial trunk
Deep to the pectoralis minor M.
Branches to:
Clavicular branch.
Pectoralis branch.
Acromion branch.
Deltoid branch.

Lateral Thoracic Artery

Bbr. to Serratus Ant. M.
3. Lateral Thoracic Artery:-
Lateral Thoracic artery is a branch of the second part of the
axillary artery .
It emerges at, and runs along, the lower border of the
pectoral is minor in close relation with anterior lymph
nodes.
In females, the artery is large and give off the lateral
mammary branches to the breast.
4.Subscapular Artery:-
Sub scapular Artery is the largest branch of the axillary
artery, arising from its third part.
 It runs along the lower border of the subscapularis to
terminate near the inferior angle of the scapula and supply
the latissimus dorsi and serratus anterior.

5.Anterior Circumflex Humeral Artery:-
Anterior circumflex humeral artery is a small branch arising
from the third part of the axillary artery, at the lower border
of the subscapularis.
 It passes laterally in front of the intertubercular sulcus of
the humerus,and anastomoses with the posterior circumflex
humeral artery, to from An arterial circle round the surgical
neck of the humerus.
 It supplies the head of the humerus and shoulder joint.
6.Posterior Circumflex Humeral Artery:-
Posterior circumflex humeral artery is much larger than the
anterior circum flex humeral artery.
 It arises from the third part of the axillary artery at the
lower border of the subsacpularis.
Finally it anastomosing with the anterior circumflex
humeral artery around the surgical neck of the humerus.
 It supplies the shoulder joint, the deltoid, and the muscles
bounding the quadrangular space.
 It gives off a descending branch which anastomoses with
ascending branch of the profunda brachii artery.
Axillary Artery: third part
Lateral border of Pectoralis minor M. to
lateral border of Teres major M.

Posterior circumflex Subscapular A.:

humeral A. Branches:
1. Circumflex scapular
A. (to multiple
Anterior circumflex
muscles associated
humeral A.
with the scapula)

2. Thoracodorsal A.
(to Latissimus
dorsi M.)
 AXILARY VEIN
The axillary vein lies initially (distally) on the anteromedial
side of the axillary artery.
Axillary vein is formed by the union of brachial vein ( The
accompanying vein of the brachial artery) and the basilic
vein at the inferior border of the teres major.
The axillary vein ( first part) end at the lateral border of the
first rib, where it becomes the subclavian vein.
Cephalic veins opens in the upper part of the axillary vein.
AXILARY LYMPH NODES
The axillary lymph nodes are scattered in the fibro—fatty
tissue of the axilla.They are divided into five group., they
are.
Anterior group (pectoral)
Posterior group(Scapular)
Lateral group.
Central group.
Apical or infraclavicular group.
1.The nodes of the anterior (pectoral) group lie along the
lateral thoracic vessels,i.e.along the lower border of the
pectoral is minor.
They receive lymph from the upper half of the anterior
wall of the trunk, and from the major part of the breast.
2.The nodes of the posterior(scapular) group lie along the
sub scapular vessels, on the posterior fold of the axilla.
 They receive lymph from the posterior wall of the upper
half of the trunk, and from the axillary tail of the breast.
3.The nodes of the lateral group lie along the upper part of
the humerus, medial to the axillary vein.
 They receive lymph from the upper limb.
4.The nodes of the central group lie in the fat of the upper
axilla.They receive lymph from the preceding groups and
drain into the apical group.
5.The nodes of the apical or infraclavicular group lie deep to
the clavipectoral fascia, along the axillary vessels
They receive lymph from the central group, from the upper
part of the breast and from the thumb
Applied Anatomy
Aneurysam of axillary artery:-
The first part of the artery may enlarge and compress
the trunks of the brachial plexus
 causing pain and anesthesia (loss of sensation) in the
area of the skin supplied by the affected nerves.