Brachial artery
| Artery: Brachial artery | |
|---|---|
| The brachial artery. | |
| Right upper limb, anterior view, brachial artery and elbow. | |
| Latin | arteria brachialis |
| Gray's | subject #150 589 |
| Supplies | biceps brachii muscle, triceps brachii muscle |
| Source | axillary artery |
| Branches | Profunda brachii Superior ulnar collateral artery Inferior ulnar collateral artery |
| Vein | brachial vein |
| MeSH | Brachial+Artery |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
The brachial artery is the major blood vessel of the upper arm.
It is a continuation of the axillary artery and it originates from the lower margin of teres major muscle and continues down the arm, until it reaches the cubital fossa at the elbow. It then ends by dividing into the radial and ulnar arteries which run down the forearm. In some individuals, the bifurcation occurs much earlier and the ulnar and radial arteries extend through the upper arm.
The brachial artery has several branches along its course. These supply the muscles of the upper arm, such as biceps brachii muscle and triceps brachii muscle, and contribute to important anastomotic networks of the elbow and (as the axillary artery) the shoulder.
The pulse of the brachial artery is palpable on the anterior aspect of the elbow and, with the use of a stethoscope and sphygmomanometer (blood pressure cuff) often used to measure the blood pressure.
Branches
- Profunda brachii artery (also known as the deep brachial artery)
- Superior ulnar collateral artery
- Inferior branch
- Radial artery (a terminal branch)
Additional images
External link
List of arteries of upper limbs | |
|---|---|
| Axillary | scapular anastomosis - 1st part superior thoracic - 2nd part thoracoacromial (deltoid branch) - lateral thoracic - 3rd part subscapular (circumflex scapular, thoracodorsal) - anterior humeral circumflex - posterior humeral circumflex |
| Brachial | profunda brachii (radial collateral, medial collateral) - ulnar collateral artery (superior, inferior) |
| Radial | forearm: radial recurrent
wrist/carpus: dorsal carpal branch - palmar carpal branch hand: superficial palmar branch - princeps pollicis (radial of index finger) |
| Ulnar | forearm: ulnar recurrent (anterior, posterior) - common interosseous (anterior, posterior, recurrent)
wrist/carpus: dorsal carpal branch - palmar carpal branch hand: deep palmar branch |
| Arches | dorsal carpal arch: dorsal metacarpal (dorsal digital)
superficial palmar arch: common palmar digital (proper palmar digital) deep palmar arch: palmar metacarpal |
Table of Contents In Alphabetical Order | By Individual Diseases | Signs and Symptoms | Physical Examination | Lab Tests | Drugs
Editor Tools Become an Editor | Editors Help Menu | Create a Page | Edit a Page | Upload a Picture or File | Printable version | Permanent link | Maintain Pages | What Pages Link HereThere is no pharmaceutical or device industry support for this site and we need your viewer supported Donations | Editorial Board | Governance | Licensing | Disclaimers | Avoid Plagiarism | Policies







