Upper limb
Brachiocephalic trunk (Innominate artery)
Truncus brachiocephalicus
- Origin
- First and largest branch arising from the arch of the aorta in the superior mediastinum
- Insertion
- Ascends obliquely to bifurcate behind the right sternoclavicular joint into the right common carotid and right subclavian arteries
- Function
- Delivers blood to the right upper extremity, right neck, face, and right cerebral hemisphere
- Innervation
- Cardiovascular autonomic plexus and aortic baroreceptor fibers
- Movement & chain
- Protected retrosternally in the superior mediastinum
- Palpation
- Not palpably accessible behind the manubrium sterni
- Clinical
- Innominate artery stenosis/aneurysm causing concurrent right arm ischemia and cerebral hypoperfusion (TIA)
- Segmental innervation
- T1–T4 mediastinal level
- In clinical practice
- Critical vascular landmark during median sternotomy, emergency tracheostomy, and cardiothoracic procedures
- Region in the model
- Upper limb