Origin of Axillary Artery: Continuation of Subclavian artery
Extent of Axillary Artery: Outer border of 1st rib to Lower border of teres major (terminates as brachial artery)
Relation to Axillary Vein: Lateral to Axillary Vein
3 Parts of Axillary Artery: In relation to Pectoralis Minor muscle
- 1st part: Proximal
- 2nd part: Posterior
- 3rd part: Distal
Branches of Axillary Artery
Mnemonic:
1. 1st part gives 1 branch; 2nd part gives 2 branches and 3rd part gives 3 branches.
2. Remember S AL SAP
1. 1st part: S
- Superior thoracic artery
2. 2nd part: AL
- Acromio-thoracic artery
- Lateral thoracic artery
3. 3rd part: SAP
- Subscapular artery
- Circumflex scapular artery travels through the triangular space
- Anterior circumflex humeral artery (ACHA)
- Posterior circumflex humeral artery (PCHA)
- PHCA travels through the quadrangular space
Important muscular spaces in the shoulder can be remembered using a 2 hand, 2 finger intersection analogy as described here.
Further 4 branches of acromio-thoracic artery can be remembered using the mnemonic:
Mnemonic: ABCD
- Acromial
- Breast (pectoral)
- Clavicular
- Deltoid