20th February 2024

Upper limb

The arterial supply to the upper limb arises from the subclavian artery bilaterally. It travels laterally through the axillae and becomes the axillary artery after it crosses the lateral border of the first rib. The axillary artery provides the anterior and posterior circumflex artery, which wraps around the surgical neck of the humerus, and it can be damaged during fractures of the surgical neck of the humerus. The axillary artery becomes the brachial artery after it crosses the teres major. 

The brachial artery travels with the radial nerve within the radial groove of the humerus and provides the bulk of the arterial supply to the structures of the upper arm. As the artery crosses the bicipital aponeurosis, it bifurcates into the radial and ulnar arteries. The radial artery supplies the structures within the posterolateral forearm, while the ulnar artery supplies the anteromedial forearm. Within the hand, the radial and ulnar arteries form two anastomoses, giving rise to the deep and superficial palmar arteries. 

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons (2013). Thoracic Upper Limb Arteries Chart, Licensed under a creative commons licence. Available for free at: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/2128_Thoracic_Upper_Limb_Arteries_Chart.jpg (Accessed: 9 January 2024).