The deep artery of arm (also known as arteria profunda brachii and the deep brachial artery) is a large vessel which arises from the

lateral Lateral is a geometric term of location which may refer to: Healthcare *Lateral (anatomy), an anatomical direction * Lateral cricoarytenoid muscle * Lateral release (surgery), a surgical procedure on the side of a kneecap Phonetics *Lateral co ...

and posterior part of the

brachial artery The brachial artery is the major blood vessel of the (upper) arm. It is the continuation of the axillary artery beyond the lower margin of teres major muscle. It continues down the ventral surface of the arm until it reaches the cubital foss ...

, just below the lower border of the

teres major 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. The teres major muscle (from Latin ''teres'', meaning ...

Structure

It follows closely the

radial nerve The radial nerve is a nerve in the human body that supplies the posterior portion of the upper limb. It innervates the medial and lateral heads of the triceps brachii muscle of the arm, as well as all 12 muscles in the posterior osteofascial comp ...

, running at first backward between the long and medial heads of the

triceps brachii The triceps, or triceps brachii (Latin for "three-headed muscle of the arm"), is a large muscle on the back of the upper limb of many vertebrates. It consists of 3 parts: the medial, lateral, and long head. It is the muscle principally respon ...

, then along the groove for the

(the

radial sulcus The radial groove (also known as the musculospiral groove, radial sulcus, or spiral groove) is a broad but shallow oblique depression for the radial nerve and deep brachial artery. It is located on the center of the lateral border of the humerus b ...

), where it is covered by the lateral head of the triceps brachii, to the lateral side of the arm; there it pierces the lateral intermuscular septum, and, descending between the

brachioradialis The brachioradialis is a muscle of the forearm that flexes the forearm at the elbow. It is also capable of both pronation and supination, depending on the position of the forearm. It is attached to the distal styloid process of the radius by way ...

and the

brachialis The brachialis (brachialis anticus), also known as the Teichmann muscle, is a muscle in the upper arm that flexes the elbow. It lies deeper than the biceps brachii, and makes up part of the floor of the region known as the cubital fossa (elbow ...

to the front of the

lateral epicondyle of the humerus The lateral epicondyle of the humerus is a large, tuberculated eminence, curved a little forward, and giving attachment to the radial collateral ligament of the elbow joint, and to a tendon common to the origin of the supinator and some of the e ...

, ends by anastomosing with the

radial recurrent artery The radial recurrent artery arises from the radial artery immediately below the elbow. It ascends between the branches of the radial nerve, lying on the supinator muscle and then between the brachioradialis muscle and the brachialis muscle, supp ...

Branches and anastomoses

It gives branches to the

deltoid muscle The deltoid muscle is the muscle forming the rounded contour of the human shoulder. It is also known as the 'common shoulder muscle', particularly in other animals such as the domestic cat. Anatomically, the deltoid muscle appears to be made up o ...

(which, however, primarily is supplied by the

posterior circumflex humeral artery The posterior humeral circumflex artery (posterior circumflex artery, posterior circumflex humeral artery) arises from the third part of axillary artery at the lower border of the subscapularis, and runs posteriorly with the axillary nerve through ...

) and to the muscles between which it lies; it supplies an occasional nutrient artery which enters the

humerus The humerus (; ) is a long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. It connects the scapula and the two bones of the lower arm, the radius and ulna, and consists of three sections. The humeral upper extremity consists of a r ...

behind the

deltoid tuberosity In human anatomy, the deltoid tuberosity is a rough, triangular area on the anterolateral (front-side) surface of the middle of the humerus. It is a site of attachment of deltoid muscle. Structure Variation The deltoid tuberosity has been re ...

. A branch ascends between the long and lateral heads of the

to anastomose with the

posterior humeral circumflex artery The posterior humeral circumflex artery (posterior circumflex artery, posterior circumflex humeral artery) arises from the third part of axillary artery at the lower border of the subscapularis, and runs posteriorly with the axillary nerve throug ...

; the

medial collateral artery The medial collateral artery (also known as the middle collateral artery) is a branch of profunda brachii artery that descends in the middle head of the triceps brachii and assists in forming the anastomosis with the interosseous recurrent artery a ...

, a branch, descends in the middle head of the triceps brachii and assists in forming the anastomosis above the

olecranon The olecranon (, ), is a large, thick, curved bony eminence of the ulna, a long bone in the forearm that projects behind the elbow. It forms the most pointed portion of the elbow and is opposite to the cubital fossa or elbow pit. The olecranon ...

of the

ulna The ulna (''pl''. ulnae or ulnas) is a long bone found in the forearm that stretches from the elbow to the smallest finger, and when in anatomical position, is found on the medial side of the forearm. That is, the ulna is on the same side of t ...

; and, lastly, a

radial collateral artery The radial collateral artery (another term for the anterior descending branch of the profunda brachii artery) is a branch of the deep brachial artery. It arises in the arm proper and anastomoses with the radial recurrent artery near the elbow. Se ...

runs down behind the lateral intermuscular septum to the back of the lateral epicondyle of the humerus, where it anastomoses with the

interosseous recurrent The interosseous recurrent artery (or recurrent interosseous artery) is an artery of the forearm which arises from the posterior interosseous artery near its origin. It ascends to the interval between the lateral epicondyle and olecranon, on or t ...

and the

inferior ulnar collateral The inferior ulnar collateral artery (anastomotica magna artery) is an artery in the arm. It arises about 5 cm. above the elbow from the brachial artery. Course It passes medialward upon the Brachialis, and piercing the medial intermuscular s ...

arteries.

Additional images

File:Gray525.png, The brachial artery. File:Gray529.png, Arteries of the back of the forearm and hand. File:Slide2OOO.JPG, Deep brachial artery File:Slide9SSS.JPG, Deep brachial artery

References

External links

* {{Authority control Arteries of the upper limb