Arteries of the Forelimb - Anatomy & Physiology

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This page is based around the anatomy of the canine forelimb.
Essentially the lay out of the arteries is similar in domestic species.

Oxygenated blood leaving the heart flows into the aorta, one of it's earliest branches is the subclavian artery which supplies blood to the forelimb, neck and cervicothoracic junction. It moves round the cranial border of the first rib and enters the limb via the axilla; at this point it changes it's name to the axillary artery. It is this vessel that supplies the forelimb.

Axillary Artery

It crosses the axillary space and continues distally along the medial aspect of the limb. Below are the branches of the axillary artery.

• Axillary a.
  • External thoracic a. - branches to the thoracic wall
  • Lateral thoracic a. - branches to the thoracic wall
  • Subscapular a. - supplies muscles of the shoulder; it runs dorsally on the caudal border of the scapula between the teres major and subscapularis muscles
• Brachial a. - the axillary a. changes its name to brachial a. at the point of the teres major tuberosity. It runs along the medial aspect of the humerus, then along the craniomedial aspect of the elbow and then along the forearm before changing its name to the median a.
  • Deep brachial a. - supplies the tricipital mass
  • Collateral ulnar a. - supplies the caudal aspect of the forearm
  • Superficial brachial a. - supplies the cranial aspect of the forearm, runs superficially next to the cephalic vein and radial nerve
    • Cranial superficial antebrachial a.
      • Dorsal common digital aa.
  • Transverse cubital a. - branches off at the point of the elbow
  • Common interosseous a. - branches off just distal to the elbow
    • Ulnar a. - supplies the digital and carpal flexors
    • Cranial interosseous a. - runs between the interossoeus space to supply the dorsal muscles of the forearm
    • Caudal interosseous a. - runs to the palmar acrhes of the proximal metacarpus
      • Superficial palmar arch
        • Palmar commo digital aa.
      • Deep palmar arch
        • Palmar metacarpal aa.
• Median a. - runs on the caudomedial aspect with the median nerve deep to the flexor carpi radialis, passes through the carpal canal and forms branches to connect with the interosseous aa. thus forming the arterial arches of the foot.
  • Radial a.