Vessels Of Upper Limb 

Vessels Of The Upper Limb

Question 1. What is the axis artery of upper limb? Enumerate the various arteries that represent the axis artery in the adult.
Answer.

• The axis artery is formed by the 7th cervical intersegmental artery.
• In the adult, it persists in the form of the following arteries:
  • Axillary artery
  • Brachial artery
  • Anterior interosseous artery
  • Deep palmar arch

Question 2. Give a brief account of the axillary artery.
Answer.

Axillary Artery Origin

Axillary Artery is the artery of lateral side of the forearm. It arises in the cubital fossa, 1 cm below the bend of the elbow, as a smaller terminal branch of the brachial artery.

Vessels of the Upper Limb Anatomy

Axillary Artery Course and termination

Axillary Artery runs downwards along the lateral side of the front of forearm to reach the distal end of radius.

At the wrist, the radial artery winds dorsally passing deep to the tendons of abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis to enter the anatomical snuffbox on dorsolateral part of the hand.

Axillary Artery enters the palm by passing between the two heads of 1st dorsal interosseous muscle and terminates by forming the deep palmar arch.

Blood Vessels of the Upper Limb

Axillary Artery Branches

• Radial recurrent artery
• Dorsal carpal branch
• Palmar carpal branch
• First dorsal metacarpal artery – on dorsum of hand
• Superficial palmar branch.
• Arteria princeps pollicis
• Arteria radialis indicis

Axillary Artery Applied anatomy

The pulsations of radial artery can be felt at two sites: (a) laterally in front of the distal one-third of radius (radial pulse) and (b) in the anatomical snuffbox.