The subscapular artery and the thoracodorsal branch: an anatomical study

Abstract

The motive for this research was the use of the muscles of the scapular region in transposition, transplantation and reparative surgery and the need for more detailed knowledge of the blood supply to these muscles. In addition, the subscapular arterial tree may be used as a source of microvascular grafts to replace damaged or diseased portions of arteries, particularly in the hand and forearm. The research was conducted on 60 sides of corpses of adults of both sexes. It was noticed that the subscapular artery was present in 96.7% of cases and originated laterally to the pectoralis minor muscle in 76.7% of cases. The average calibre was 5.0 mm, and in 73.2% of cases it measured between 4.0 and 5.9 mm. The average length was 18.0 mm, ranging from 10.0 to 29.9 mm (76.7%). It presented in its course important relations with the axillary nerve (69%) and with the radial nerve (82.8%). Its branches were collateral (subscapular muscle - 61.3%) and terminal (except for the circumflex scapular artery), leading to the following muscles: serratus anterior (43.9%), latissimus dorsi (27.6%), and subscapular (23.3%). The thoracodorsal artery, one of the terminal branches, most frequently showed a calibre of between 2.0 and 3.9 mm (70.3%), collateral branches in 85.0%, was mainly distributed to the subscapular muscle (36.7%) and to the serratus anterior muscle (29.0%) and had terminal branches to the following muscles: latissimus dorsi (44.1%), serratus anterior (40.5%) and the subscapular (12.5%). The serratus anterior muscle received one branch in 39.5% and two branches in 41.9%, while the latissimus dorsi muscle received one branch in 66.7% and two branches in 23.1%.
(Folia Morphol 2008; 67: 58-62)