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axillary artery
Divided into three parts by the pectoralis minor:
Origin:
- at the lateral border of the 1st rib as the continuation of the subclavian artery.
Branches:
- 1st part (enclosed in the axillary sheath)
-> superior thoracic
- 2nd part
-> lateral thoracic artery
-> thoracoacromial trunk
- 3rd part
-> subscapular artery (largest branch)
-> anterior humeral circumflex artery
-> posterior humeral circumflex artery
Course:
- passes posterior to the pectoralis minor & becomes the brachial artery when it passes distal to the inferior border of the teres major
General
blood vessel
Properties
FORM: axillary artery
BRANCHES: superior thoracic artery
lateral thoracic artery (external mammary artery)
thoracoacromial trunk
subscapular artery
anterior circumflex humeral artery
posterior circumflex humeral artery
brachial artery
ORIGIN: subclavian artery
References
1. Grant's Atlas of Anatomy, 10th edition, AMR Agur & MJ Lee (eds),
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 1999.
2. Stedman's Medical Dictionary 27th ed, Williams &
Wilkins, Baltimore, 1999.
3. Clinically Oriented Anatomy, 4th edition, KL Moore & AF Dalley (eds),
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, PA 1999.
Components
intima; tunica intima
tunica media
vascular endothelium