Upper limb
Subclavian artery
Arteria subclavia
- Origin
- Right from brachiocephalic trunk; left directly from aortic arch
- Insertion
- Passes through the scalene triangle over the first rib to become the axillary artery at its lateral border
- Function
- Primary arterial trunk for the upper limb, brain (vertebral artery), neck, and anterior thoracic wall
- Innervation
- Postganglionic sympathetic fibers from the stellate (cervicothoracic) ganglion
- Movement & chain
- Courses through the interscalene space; dynamically affected by clavicular motion and scalene tone
- Palpation
- Palpable deep in the greater supraclavicular fossa against the first rib
- Clinical
- Thoracic outlet syndrome (arterial TOS), subclavian steal syndrome, aneurysmal dilatation from cervical ribs
- Segmental innervation
- C5–T1 vascular distribution
- In clinical practice
- Emergency proximal compression point for exsanguinating upper limb trauma; landmark in interscalene blocks
- Region in the model
- Upper limb