In human anatomy, the axillary artery is a large blood vessel that conveys oxygenated blood to the lateral aspect of the thorax, the axilla (armpit) and the upper limb. Its origin is at the lateral margin of the first rib, before which it is called the subclavian artery.
After passing the lower margin of teres major it becomes the brachial artery.
Structure
The axillary artery is often referred to as having three parts, with these divisions based on its location relative to the pectoralis minor muscle, which is superficial to the artery.
- First part – the part of the artery superior to the pectoralis minor
- Second part – the part of the artery posterior to the pectoralis minor
- Third part – the part of the artery inferior to the pectoralis minor.
Relations
The axillary artery is accompanied by the axillary vein, which lies medial to the artery, along its length.
In the axilla, the axillary artery is surrounded by the brachial plexus. The origin of these branches is highly variable (e.g. the posterior and anterior circumflex arteries often have a common trunk). An arterial branch is named for its course, not its origin.
- First part (1 branch)
- Superior thoracic artery (Supreme thoracic artery)