Circumflex scapular artery

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Circumflex scapular artery
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The scapular and circumflex arteries. (Scapular circumflex visible at center.)
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The axillary artery and its branches. (Scap. cir. visible near center.)
Details
Source subscapular artery
Identifiers
Latin arteria circumflexa scapulae
TA98 A12.2.09.015
TA2 4629
FMA 23179
Anatomical terminology

The circumflex scapular artery (scapular circumflex artery, dorsalis scapulae artery) is a branch of the subscapular artery and part of the scapular anastomoses.

Contents

It curves around the axillary border of the scapula, traveling through the anatomical "Triangular space" made up of the Teres minor superiorly, the Teres major inferiorly, and the long head of the Triceps laterally.

It enters the infraspinatous fossa under cover of the Teres minor, and anastomoses with the transverse scapular artery (suprascapular) and the descending branch of the transverse cervical (a.k.a. dorsal scapular artery).

Branches

In its course it gives off two branches:

In addition to these, small branches are distributed to the back part of the Deltoid and the long head of the Triceps brachii, anastomosing with an ascending branch of the deep artery of arm.

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The teres minor is a narrow, elongated muscle of the rotator cuff. The muscle originates from the lateral border and adjacent posterior surface of the corresponding right or left scapula and inserts at both the greater tubercle of the humerus and the posterior surface of the joint capsule.

Axillary artery Large blood vessel bringing oxygenated blood to the thorax

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.

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The teres major muscle is a muscle of the upper limb. It attaches to the scapula and the humerus and is one of the seven scapulohumeral muscles. It is a thick but somewhat flattened muscle.

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The subscapular artery, the largest branch of the axillary artery, arises from the third part of the axillary artery at the lower border of the subscapularis muscle, which it follows to the inferior angle of the scapula, where it anastomoses with the lateral thoracic and intercostal arteries, and with the descending branch of the dorsal scapular artery, and ends in the neighboring muscles.

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Transverse cervical artery Artery of the neck

The transverse cervical artery is an artery in the neck and a branch of the thyrocervical trunk, running at a higher level than the suprascapular artery.

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Supraspinatous fossa Part of the shoulderblade

The supraspinous fossa of the posterior aspect of the scapula is smaller than the infraspinous fossa, concave, smooth, and broader at its vertebral than at its humeral end. Its medial two-thirds give origin to the Supraspinatus.

Scapular anastomosis circulatory system around the shoulder blade

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Quadrangular space

The quadrangular space is one of the three spaces in the axillary space. The other two spaces are: triangular space and triangular interval.

Triangular space Anatomic space of the upper body

The triangular space is one of the three spaces found at the axillary space. The other two spaces are the quadrangular space and the triangular interval.

Axillary space

The axillary spaces are anatomic spaces. through which axillary contents leave the axilla. They consist of the quadrangular space, triangular space, and triangular interval. It is bounded by teres major, teres minor, medial border of the humerus, and long head of triceps brachii.

Outline of human anatomy Overview of and topical guide to human anatomy

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to human anatomy:

References

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