Anatomical Variations of the Axillary Artery in a Human Cadaver: A Case Report

Abstract

Anatomical variations are deviations from the standard structures and morphologies of bodily arrangements, a phenomenon commonly seen in arteries and nerves. A typical axillary artery extends from the outer border of the first rib to the lower edge of the teres major before the pectoralis minor divides the axillary artery into three parts. Within existing research, several variations have been seen in the branching of the axillary artery, particularly among the second and third divisions. This case report examines and describes the anatomical differences of the second and third division of the axillary artery in a 64-year-old Caucasian female; variations were found in the second division of the axillary artery, two thoracoacromial arteries, as well as the absence of the stemming lateral thoracic artery. Within the third division of the axillary artery, the subscapular artery supplying the latissimus dorsi (two branches), subscapularis (circumflex scapular artery), and the serratus anterior (two branches) muscles were identified and distally, the axillary artery bisected into the brachial and accessory brachial arteries. A genetic mutation, environmental factors, and embryological malformations are among the hypotheses associated with these anatomical variations. From a clinical standpoint, these variations may not produce impairment though the knowledge of an individual’s distinctive arrangements would aid in preventing unnecessary complications that could arise during particular interventions.

Keywords

• anatomical deviations
• blood supply
• upper extremity
• upper limb artery