How the Brachial Artery Supports Arm Circulation and Function
The human body is full of complex structures which is simply explained by science. From head to toe, there are muscles, arteries, veins all over the human body. But do you know which artery constitutes a human arm? In the human arm, Brachial Artery works as the main supply for the arm. This artery is close to the humerus. Due to this, various clinical examinations are made from this artery. When a person measures the blood pressure and pulse rate, brachial artery anatomy helps in providing these results. With this article, we have mentioned all the details, relations, functions, and branches of this artery.
Brachial Artery Course
The continuation of the axillary artery proves to be the Brachial artery origin. The proximal Brachial artery is the axillary artery continuation. It lies in the medial upper arm. This artery lies medially in the biceps brachii muscle and anterior to the medial head of the triceps. The Brachial Artery function is to supply blood throughout the arm.
Brachial Artery Relations
As far as brachial artery relations are studied, its relationship with other arm structures is important from the point of view of clinical practice. This artery is covered by layers of skin and a superficial vessel. However, there are few exceptions to this brachial artery anatomy relations:
1. The first exception lies in the cubital fossa. In this, the bicipital aponeurosis covers the artery. Due to this, it gets separated from the median cubital vein.
2. Another exception to this brachial artery course relations, occurs when the median nerve crosses the brachial artery.
Branches of Brachial Artery
There are eight branches of the brachial artery in the human body. These includes:
1. Profunda Brachii Artery:
The profunda brachii artery runs between the medial and long heads of the triceps brachii muscle. This gets further divided into two branches, i.e., middle ulnar collateral and radial artery.
2. Nutrient Artery of the Humerus
The nutrient artery of the humerus starts from the middle of the arm. It enters before the nutrient canal and is near the attachment of the coracobrachialis.
3. Superior Ulnar Collateral Artery
This artery originates from the brachial artery slightly to the middle-level of the arm. After which it moves between the medial epicondyle of the humerus and the ulnar epicondyle.
4. Middle Ulnar Collateral Artery
This artery arises between the inferior and superior ulnar collateral arteries. It travels to the medial epicondyle.
5. Inferior Ulnar Collateral (Supratrochlear) Artery
This artery lies between the brachialis muscle and the median curve. However, it does not cross the medial intermuscular septum. After which, it gets curved to the humerus between bone and triceps muscles.
6. Deltoid (Ascending) Artery
This artery lies between the lateral and long head of the triceps branch. It ends at the point where it reaches the branch of the posterior humeral circumflex artery.
7. Radial Artery
In the brachial artery anatomy, this is one of the branches of it. It flows deep to the brachioradialis. This gives off the radial recurrent artery distal to the elbow joint.
8. Ulnar Artery
It is the largest branch among all branches of the brachial artery. The ulnar artery is subsequently divided into two branches which include anterior and posterior branches. This artery proceeds down to the arm and finally supplies to the hand.
However, the brachial artery diagram provides a better understanding and clarity about the branches of this artery.
Fun Fact - Brachial Artery Mnemonic
It becomes a little easy to remember the branches of this artery with the brachial artery diagram. But, there is another way to remember it. The brachial artery mnemonic is:
Play
November rain
Sweet child
O' Mine
It's so easy, and
Don't stop
Rocking
Ukulele
Here, P denotes Profunda brachii, N for Nutrient artery of the humerus, S for Superior ulnar collateral artery, M for Middle ulnar collateral artery, I for Inferior ulnar collateral artery, D for Deltoid artery, R for Radial artery, and U for Ulnar artery.
In this way, the eight branches can be easily remembered. Apart from this mnemonic, there is one more mnemonic that can help to remember the anastomosis of the ulnar collateral and recurrent branches.
I Am Pretty Smart
1. In this mnemonic, I and A means that the Inferior ulnar collateral artery moves with the Anterior branch of the ulnar recurrent artery.
2. The P and S denote that the Superior ulnar artery goes with the Posterior branch of the ulnar recurrent artery.
Conclusion
The information regarding the brachial artery function or origin can be important for any person. This artery is important in the human body and supplies blood to the arm. Brachial artery origin is from the axillary artery. However, the branches of this artery are broad and may take time to remember. With this article, we have covered all the things about brachial artery anatomy.
FAQs on Brachial Artery: Detailed Anatomy and Branches
1. What is the brachial artery and what is its primary function?
The brachial artery is the major blood vessel of the upper arm. It is a direct continuation of the axillary artery and is responsible for supplying oxygenated blood to the muscles of the arm, such as the biceps and triceps, as well as the elbow joint. It terminates by dividing into the radial and ulnar arteries in the forearm.
2. What are the main branches of the brachial artery?
The brachial artery gives off several important branches to supply the structures of the arm. The principal branches are:
- Profunda brachii artery (deep brachial artery): The largest branch, which supplies the posterior compartment of the arm.
- Nutrient artery to the humerus: Supplies the bone tissue of the humerus.
- Superior ulnar collateral artery: Travels with the ulnar nerve to supply the medial aspect of the elbow.
- Inferior ulnar collateral artery: Arises near the elbow and contributes to the blood supply around the joint.
- Terminal branches: At the elbow, the brachial artery divides into the radial artery and the ulnar artery, which supply the forearm and hand.
3. How is the brachial artery's path through the arm clinically significant?
The anatomical path of the brachial artery is highly significant. It runs in a groove on the medial side of the arm, making it relatively superficial and palpable. This accessibility is why it is the standard site for measuring blood pressure using a sphygmomanometer. The artery can be easily compressed against the humerus bone to obtain an accurate reading that reflects the body's systemic arterial pressure.
4. What is the relationship between the brachial artery and the median nerve?
The brachial artery and the median nerve have a close and important anatomical relationship. In the upper part of the arm, the median nerve is lateral to the artery. As they descend, the nerve crosses over the artery to lie medial to it in the cubital fossa (the depression in front of the elbow). This close proximity means that injuries to the brachial artery, such as a supracondylar fracture of the humerus, can also damage the median nerve, leading to both vascular and neurological symptoms.
5. What are the potential consequences of a severe brachial artery injury?
A severe injury, like a laceration or blockage of the brachial artery, can have critical consequences. The immediate danger is profuse bleeding and hypovolemic shock. If blood flow is not restored quickly, it can lead to ischemia (lack of oxygen) in the forearm and hand. This can cause severe muscle damage, a condition known as Volkmann's ischemic contracture, resulting in a permanent claw-like deformity of the hand and loss of function.
6. How does the brachial artery differ from the brachial vein?
While they run alongside each other, the brachial artery and brachial vein have opposite functions and different structures. The key difference is that the brachial artery carries oxygenated blood from the heart to the arm, while the brachial veins (often paired) carry deoxygenated blood from the arm back to the heart. Structurally, the artery has thicker, more muscular walls to withstand high pressure, whereas veins have thinner walls and contain valves to prevent the backflow of blood.
7. Where does the brachial artery begin and end?
The brachial artery begins at the lower border of the teres major muscle in the shoulder, where it is the continuation of the axillary artery. It travels down the arm and officially ends in the cubital fossa, just below the elbow joint. At this point, it bifurcates (divides) into its two terminal branches: the radial artery and the ulnar artery.
