What Is the Subclavian Artery?

The subclavian artery is a large artery in the root of the neck. The right side is from the head and arm trunk, the left is from the aortic arch, along the inside of the pleura, diagonally across the front to the root of the neck, behind the anterior oblique muscle, the arch moves outwards across the first rib to the axillary artery. Its main branches are vertebral artery, internal thoracic artery, thyroid neck trunk, costal neck trunk, transverse carotid artery, etc. The branches are distributed in the head and neck, chest and abdominal wall and other areas. This artery is pressed on the first rib at the midpoint of the supraclavicular fossa to achieve hemostasis.

The subclavian artery is a large artery in the root of the neck. The right side is from the head and arm trunk, the left is from the aortic arch, along the inside of the pleura, diagonally across the front to the root of the neck, behind the anterior oblique muscle, the arch moves across the first rib to the axillary artery. Its main branches are vertebral artery, internal thoracic artery, thyroid neck trunk, costal neck trunk, transverse carotid artery, etc. The branches are distributed in the head and neck, chest and abdominal wall and other areas. This artery is pressed on the first rib at the midpoint of the supraclavicular fossa to achieve hemostasis.

Chinese name

Subclavian artery

Foreign name

subclavian artery

Vertebral artery

From the medial segment of the subclavian artery

Thyroid neck stem

For a short thick artery

Internal thoracic artery

From under the subclavian artery

Subclavian artery anatomy:

1. Subclavian artery:

The subclavian artery is the arterial trunk of the upper limb. The right side starts from the trunk of the head and the left side directly from the aortic arch. They rise along the medial side of the left and right lung apex, and then obliquely cross the front of the pleura and exit from the upper thorax to the base of the neck. Its outer edge migrates into the axillary artery from the axillary artery.

The subclavian artery is divided into three segments by the anterior oblique muscle. The first segment is from the starting point to the inner edge of the anterior oblique muscle, the second segment is located behind the anterior oblique muscle, and the rest is the third segment. The posterior and lower segments of the first, second, and second segments are adjacent to the pleural apex and the apex of the lung, and the outer and upper segments of the second and third segments are adjacent to the brachial plexus. A vein of the same name accompanies the subclavian artery.

From the upper edge of the sternoclavicular joint to the midpoint of the clavicle, a convex arc-shaped connection is made. The highest point of the arch is about 1.5 cm above the clavicle. This line is the body surface projection of the artery. When bleeding from an upper limb trauma, the subclavian artery can be pressed down above the first rib at the midpoint of the superior clavicle fossa to stop bleeding.

In addition to the subclavian artery, which mainly transports blood to the upper limbs, it also sends out branches along the head and neck organs and the chest wall. However, the number of branches is often not fixed. Common branches include vertebral arteries, internal thoracic arteries, thyroid neck, costal neck stem, and transverse carotid artery.

2. Clavicle:

The clavicle is a component of the upper limb band. It is an "S" -shaped slender bone that connects the scapula and the sternum. It is placed horizontally above the thorax and is located under the skin. The clavicle has no bone marrow cavity. It is the first ossified bone in the fetus, and it is the bone formed into the membrane.

The clavicle is the bone connected to the central axis bone in the upper limb. It acts as a brace, supporting the upper limb away from the torso, expanding the field of vision of the person, increasing the range of movement of the upper limb, and improving the work efficiency of the upper limb.

The blunt circle of the medial clavicle is called the sternal end, and it is related to the clavicle notch of the sternal stem. The lateral width is called the acromion, which is related to the acromion of the scapula. The lateral 1/3 of the clavicle is flat and convex upward and backward, and the medial 2/3 is triangular and convex forward. The top is smooth and the bottom is rough.

The clavicle is the bone with the most frequent fractures in the body. The interface between the middle 1/3 and the outer 1/3 of the clavicle is the weakest part. When a person falls to the shoulder or hands, the violence transmitted to the trunk is greater than the strength of the weak bone, and a fracture occurs.

The length of the clavicle in Chinese is 14.6 to 14.7 cm for men and 12.9 to 13.3 cm for women.

Morphological structure and surrounding structure of the subclavian artery:

The subclavian artery is a pair of large arterial trunks. The left side starts directly from the aortic arch, and the right side starts from the head and arm trunk behind the upper edge of the right sternoclavicular joint. Therefore, the left subclavian artery is slightly longer than the right. The left subclavian artery is relatively constant. According to statistics, about 99.8% starts directly from the aortic arch, and only 0.2% synthesizes with the common carotid artery and the left head arm starts from the aortic arch. 98% of the right subclavian artery originated from the head and arm trunk, and 2% originated directly from the aortic arch. The abnormality of the right subclavian artery originated from the transition of the aortic arch and thoracic aorta, and was closely related to the variation of the right sublaryngeal nerve stroke. Most of these abnormal right subclavian arteries pass through the back of the esophagus and can also pass through the back or front of the trachea. Sometimes it can also appear with the right aortic arch, forming a "vascular ring". Such individuals with abnormal onset may clinically compress the esophagus and trachea, causing difficulty in breathing and swallowing. The left and right subclavian arteries are located along the inside of the two lung apexes, obliquely over the front of the pleura, exit the upper thorax to the root of the neck, pass through the space of the oblique muscle through the first rib, and bend outward to the first. Outer costal margin, migrating axillary artery. The subclavian artery is usually divided into three segments in clinical practice: from the beginning to the medial margin of the anterior oblique muscle, the first segment; the part behind the anterior oblique muscle is the second segment; from the anterior oblique The third segment from the lateral edge of the horn muscle to the lateral edge of the first rib. Because the left and right start are different, the process of the first segment of the subclavian artery on both sides and the adjacent relationship are not exactly the same. Draw an arch upward line from the sternoclavicular joint to the midpoint of the clavicle, which represents the body surface projection of the artery. The highest point of the arch is not constant, generally about 1.2 cm above the clavicle. The branches of the subclavian artery vary widely. The branches of the subclavian artery in Chinese can be divided into 5 types and 22 types. Among them, type 4 (39.3%) of 4 independent branches and type 3 (32.7%) of 5 independent branches are more common. The direct and indirect branches of the substernal arteries include 9 vertebral arteries, internal thoracic arteries, subthyroid thyroid arteries, ascending carotid arteries, superficial carotid arteries, superior scapular arteries, transverse carotid arteries, deep carotid arteries, and upper intercostal arteries. Several of these branches form the nail neck and the rib neck.