Thoracoacromial artery

Thoracoacromial artery
Branches of axillary artery, including thoracoacromial artery
The scapular and circumflex arteries. (Thoracoacromial branch of thoracoacromial labeled at upper right.)
Details
Source	Axillary artery
Identifiers
Latin	arteria thoracoacromialis
TA98	A12.2.09.005
TA2	4619
FMA	22671
Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

The thoracoacromial artery (acromiothoracic artery; thoracic axis) is a short trunk that arises from the second part of the axillary artery, its origin being generally overlapped by the upper edge of the pectoralis minor.

Structure

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 thoracic artery and with the lateral thoracic.
Acromial branch	Runs laterally 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 (a.k.a. suprascapular), 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.

Additional images

The axillary artery and its branches.

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 588 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

External links

lesson2nerartveinspectregion at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University)
lesson3axillaryart&vein at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University)
Anatomy photo:04:07-0101 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "Pectoral Region: Thoracoacromial Artery and its Branches"
Anatomy figure: 05:04-12 at Human Anatomy Online, SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "The axillary artery and its major branches shown in relation to major landmarks."

Arteries of the human arm

Axillary

Shoulder
before teres minor

1st part	Superior thoracic artery
2nd part	Thoracoacromial artery pectoral branch acromial branch clavicular branch deltoid branch Lateral thoracic artery
3rd part	Subscapular artery scapular anastomosis circumflex scapular artery thoracodorsal artery anterior humeral circumflex artery posterior humeral circumflex artery

Brachial

Arm
before cubital fossa

profunda brachii
- radial collateral
- medial collateral
ulnar collateral
- superior
- inferior

Radial artery

forearm	radial recurrent
wrist/carpus	Dorsal carpal branch dorsal carpal arch Palmar carpal branch deep palmar arch
hand	Superficial palmar branch princeps pollicis radialis indicis artery superficial palmar arch

Median artery

median artery

Ulnar artery

forearm	ulnar recurrent anterior posterior common interosseous anterior posterior interosseous recurrent
wrist/carpus	Dorsal carpal branch dorsal carpal arch Palmar carpal branch superficial palmar arch

Arterial Arches

Dorsal carpal arch	dorsal metacarpal dorsal digital
Palmar carpal arch	superficial palmar arch common palmar digital proper palmar digital deep palmar arch palmar metacarpal