Upper limb
Anterior circumflex humeral artery
Arteria circumflexa humeri anterior
- Origin
- Arises from the third part of the axillary artery at the lower border of subscapularis
- Insertion
- Passes horizontally around the surgical neck of the humerus to anastomose with the posterior circumflex humeral artery
- Function
- Supplies the glenohumeral joint, humeral head via its ascending anterolateral branch, and deltoid muscle
- Innervation
- Sympathetic perivascular nerves
- Movement & chain
- Accommodates shoulder rotational mobility
- Palpation
- Not palpably accessible
- Clinical
- At high risk in proximal humeral surgical neck fractures; crucial for humeral head viability and avoiding avascular necrosis
- Segmental innervation
- C5–C6 roots
- In clinical practice
- Key landmark during deltopectoral and anterolateral surgical approaches to the shoulder
- Region in the model
- Upper limb