Subscapular artery

The subscapular artery and its branches (shown in red).

The Subscapular artery is the largest branch of the axillary artery. It is responsible for supplying blood to the muscles of the shoulder joint.

Anatomy

The subscapular 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 the circumflex scapular artery, a branch of the subscapular artery.

Branches

The subscapular artery gives off two branches:

• Circumflex scapular artery: It curves around the lateral border of the scapula, through the triangular space with the teres major and teres minor muscles to reach the infraspinatus fossa.
• Thoracodorsal artery: It descends with the thoracodorsal nerve along the lateral border of the latissimus dorsi muscle.

Clinical significance

The subscapular artery can be involved in a number of clinical conditions, including shoulder injuries, vascular disease, and thoracic outlet syndrome.

See also

• Axillary artery
• Circumflex scapular artery
• Thoracodorsal artery

References

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