UPPER LIMB
Dr Naveed Khalid Tarar
Blood supply and structures

ARTERIAL
SUPPLY

ARTERIES OF THE
UPPER LIMB

ARTERIES OF THE UPPER LIMB
• Vessel changes name as it passes through different regions
• Subclavian Artery ->
Axillary Artery ->
Brachial Artery ->
Radial & Ulnar Artery

ORIGIN

SUBCLAVIAN ARTERY
• Passes between clavicle & 1st rib
• Divided into three parts by Anterior scalene muscle

SUBCLAVIAN
ARTERY
Branches :
Vertebral Artery
Internal Thoracic Artery
Thyrocervical Trunk
Costocervical Trunk
Dorsal Scapular or Descending
Scapular Artery

SUBCLAVIAN
ARTERY

AXILLARY ARTERY
• Central structure of the axilla
• Extends from the outer border of the first rib to the inferior
border of the teres major muscle
• Divided into three parts by pectoralis minor muscle

BRANCHES
Superior or Supreme Thoracic Artery
Thoracoacromial Artery
Lateral Thoracic Artery
Subscapular Artery
Anterior Humeral Circumflex Artery
Posterior Humeral Circumflex Artery

AXILLARY ARTEY

SHOULDER JOINT
• Anastomosis occurs between branches of first part of
Subclavian and third part of Axillary arteries
• Branches from Subclavian Artery:
– 1) Suprascapular artery
– 2) Superficial cervical artery
• Branches from Axillary Artery:
– 1) Subscapular artery
– 2) Anterior circumflex humeral artery
– 3) Posterior circumflex humeral artery

SHOULDER JOINT

BRACHIAL ARTERY
• Extends from the inferior border of the teres major muscle to
its bifurcation in the cubital fossa
• Lies in the center of the cubital fossa, medial to the biceps
tendon, lateral to the median nerve.
• Terminates by dividing into the radial and ulnar arteries at the
level of the radial neck, in the cubital fossa.

BRANCHES
Profunda Brachii (Deep
Brachial) Artery
Superior Ulnar Collateral Artery
Inferior Ulnar Collateral Artery

ELBOW JOINT
• Anastomosis occurs between branches of Brachial, Radial
and Ulnar arteries
• Branches from Brachial Artery
– 1) Profunda Brachii artery
– 2) Superior ulnar collateral artery
– 3) Inferior ulnar collateral artery
• Branches from Ulnar and Radial Arteries:
– 1) Radial & ulnar recurrent arteries
– 2) Posterior interosseous recurrent artery

AXILLARY
ARTERY
BRACHIAL
ARTERY
PROFUNDA
BRACHII ARTERY
ULNAR
ARTERY
COMMON INTEROSSEOUS
ARTERY
ANTERIOR
INTEROSSEOUS
ARTERY
POSTERIOR
INTEROSSEOUS
ARTERY
RADIAL
ARETRY
ARM

BRACHIAL
ARTERY
ULNAR
ARTERY
RADIAL
ARTERY

ULNAR ARTERY
• Larger of the two terminal
branches of the brachial artery
• Begins in cubital fossa at level of
neck of radius
• Descends through anterior
compartment of forearm

• It ends by forming the superficial palmar arch, often
anastomosing with the superficial palmar branch of the radial
artery

• Muscular branches - Neighboring muscles
• Anastomosis - arterial anastomosis around the elbow joint
and wrist joint
• Nutrient arteries - radius and ulna bone

BRANCHES
• Anterior Ulnar Recurrent Artery
• Posterior Ulnar Recurrent Artery
• Common Interosseous Artery
• Palmar Carpal Branch
• Dorsal Carpal Branch
• Superficial Palmar Arterial Arch
• Deep Palmar Branch

ARTERIES OF THE POSTERIOR FASCIAL COMPARTMENT
OF THE FOREARM
COMMON INTEROSSEOUS
ARTERY
ULNAR
ARTERY
ANTERIOR
INTEROSSEOUS
ARTERY
POSTERIOR
INTEROSSEOUS
ARETRY

COMMON
INTEROSSEOUS
ARTERY

ANTERIOR INTEROSSEOUS ARTERY
• It pass downward on the anterior surfaces of the interosseous
membrane
• It supply the adjoining muscles and bones

POSTERIOR INTEROSSEOUS ARTERY
• It pass downward on the posterior surface of the interosseous
membrane
• It supply the adjoining muscles and bones
• They both end by taking part in the anastomosis around the wrist
joint

RADIAL ARTERY
• Smaller of the terminal branch of the brachial artery
• Begins in the cubital fossa at the level of the neck of the
radius

• The radial artery leaves the forearm by winding around the lateral
aspect of the wrist
• reach the posterior surface of the hand

BRANCHES
• Radial Recurrent Artery
• Palmar Carpal Branch
• Superficial Palmar Branch
• Dorsal Carpal Branch
• Princeps Pollicis Artery
• Radialis Indicis Artery
• Deep Palmar Arch

• Arises just above the wrist
• Enters the palm of the hand
• Joins the ulnar artery to form the superficial palmar arch
SUPERFICIAL PALMAR BRANCH

RADIAL ARTERY

VEINS OF THE
UPPER LIMB

VEIN

DRAINAGE
• Deep veins
– Follows the arteries previously mentioned
• Superficial veins
– Drain subcutaneous tissue and eventually drain into the axillary vein

• Superficial Veins
• The major superficial veins of the upper limb are the
cephalic and basilic veins. They are located within the
subcutaneous tissue of the upper limb.

• Basilic Vein
• The basilic vein originates from the dorsal venous network of
the hand and ascends the medial aspect of the upper limb.
• At the border of the teres major, the vein moves deep into the
arm. Here, it combines with the brachial veins from the deep
venous system to form the axillary vein.

• Cephalic Vein
• The cephalic vein also arises from the dorsal venous network
of the hand. It ascends the antero-lateral aspect of the upper
limb, passing anteriorly at the elbow.
• At the shoulder, the cephalic vein travels between the deltoid
and pectoralis major muscles (known as the deltopectoral
groove), and enters the axilla region via the clavipectoral
triangle. Within the axilla, the cephalic vein empties into
axillary vein.

• The cephalic and basilic veins are
connected at the elbow by
the median cubital vein.

SUPERFICIAL
VEINS
• DORSAL VENOUS NETWORK
• CEPHALIC VEIN
• BASILIC VEIN
• MEDIAN CUBITAL VEIN
• MEDIAN VEIN OF FOREARM

DEEP VEINS
• RADIAL VEIN (2)
• ULNAR VEIN (2)
• BRACHIAL VEIN (2)
• AXILLARY VEIN (1)

VENOUS
DRAINAGE

•Thank you