Posterior humeral circumflex artery

Posterior humeral circumflex artery
The axillary artery and its branches, including posterior humeral circumflex.
The scapular and circumflex arteries. (Posterior hum. circumflex labeled at center right.)
Details
Source	Axillary artery
Identifiers
Latin	arteria circumflexa humeri posterior
TA98	A12.2.09.017
TA2	4631
FMA	22684
Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

The posterior humeral circumflex artery (posterior circumflex artery or posterior circumflex humeral artery^{[citation needed]}) arises from the third part of the axillary artery at the distal border of the subscapularis.^[1]

Anatomy

Course and relations

It passes posteriorward with the axillary nerve through the quadrangular space. It winds laterally around the surgical neck of the humerus.^[1]

Distribution

It is distributed to the shoulder joint,^[1] teres major, teres minor, deltoid,^[1][2] and (long and lateral heads of) triceps brachii.^[1]

Anastomoses

It forms anastomoses with the anterior humeral circumflex artery, (deltoid branch of) profunda brachii artery, (acromial branches of) suprascapular artery, (acromial branches of) and thoracoacromial artery.^[1]

Additional images

• 
  Suprascapular and axillary nerves of right side, seen from behind.
• 
  Posterior humeral circumflex artery

See also

• Anterior humeral circumflex artery

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 589 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

External links

• Posterior humeral circumflex artery at the Duke University Health System's Orthopedics program
• lesson3axillaryart&vein at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University)

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