Axilla
Wednesday, September 25, 2024 2:35 PM
The axilla is a truncated pyramidal area between the arm and the lateral chest wall.
It has 6 boundaries:
1. The apex (cervico-axillary canal)
2. The base (axillary fascia)
3. The anterior wall
4. The posterior wall
5. The lateral wall
6. The medial wall
The cervico -axillary canal/apex is the space bordered by the posterior border of the clavicle, the
outer/lateral border of the 1st rib and the upper border of the scapula on the costal surface. It is
triangular in shape.
The base is at the lower end of the axilla. It is formed by the axillary fascia. It is bordered anteriorly by
the anterior axillary fold - formed by the lower border of the Pec major muscle and posteriorly by the
posterior axillary fold formed by latissimus dorci and teres major muscles and medially by the lateral
chest (thoracic) wall.
The anterior wall - muscles bordering Pec major, pec minor, subclavius, clavipectoraL fascia
The posterior wall - teres major, latissiumus dorci and subscapularis
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The lateral wall - the bicupital groove (intertubercular sulcus) of the humerus
The medial wall- the serratus anterior and the 1st five ribs of the thoracic wall
Contents of the axilla:-
- Axillary artery and its branches
- Axillary vein and its tributaries
- Long thoracic nerve
- Chords of the brachial plexus
- Lymph nodes
- Tendons of biceps brachii and coracobrachialis
Spaces of the axilla:
1. Triangular space
- inferior border of teres minor, superior border of teres major and medial border of the long head
of the triceps brachii
- The circumflex scapular artery passes through this space
2. Triangular interval/hiatus
- Lateral border of the long head of the triceps brachii, medial border of the shaft of the humerus
and inferior border of the teres major
- Two things pass through this space: Profunda brachii artery and radial nerve
- Hiatus has a profound brachial art that's radiant.
3. Quadrilateral space
- Inferior margin subscapularis muscle, superior border teres major, lateral margin long head tricep
brachii and medial border of humerus just below surgical neck of humerus
- Axillary nerve and posterior circumflex humeral artery passes through
Locomotor Page 1
The axillary artery
Bifurcate - describes structures dividing into two...
- The artery is divided into three parts based on its relation to pec minor.
- First part superior(proximal) to the muscle
- Second part posterior to the muscle
- Third part is inferior or distal to the muscle
- Before it passes the first rib it is known as the subclavian artery and as it exits the axilla (passes the
inferior border of the teres major) is known as the brachial artery.
- First part has one branch, second part two and third part 3
- SALSAP
- Superior thoracic artery
○ Supplies pec major and minor and medial wall of axilla (serratus anterior and upper thoracic
wall)
- Acromiothoracic artery (CAPD)
○ BRANCHES clavicular, acromial, pectoral and deltoid
○ Clavicular supplies sternoclavicular joint and subclavius muscle; acromial supplies deltoid
muscle, pectoral supplies pec minor, the breast and the skin anterior to the pec major;
deltoid supplies deltoid and pec major muscles.
- Lateral thoracic artery
○ Supplies pec major and minor, serratus anterior and breast, in females.
- Subscapular artery
- Anterior circumflex humeral artery
○ Supplies head of the humerus and shoulder joint
- Posterior circumflex humeral artery
○ Supplies deltoid muscle and shoulder joint
- Axillary vein - tributaries
○ Basilic, subscapular, lateral thoracic vein and cephalic
Axillary lymph nodes
- Apical
- Lateral
- Central
- Posterior
- Pectoral
- These are categorised into level I to III
- Level I - low axilla (posterior and pectoral)
- Leve II - medial axilla (lateral and central)
- Level III - high axilla (apical)
Where do they drain now?
Draw bracial plexus.
Locomotor Page 2
