Upper limb
Axillary vein
Vena axillaris
- Origin
- Formed at the lower border of teres major by the union of the brachial veins and the basilic vein
- Insertion
- Becomes the subclavian vein at the lateral border of the first rib
- Function
- Major deep venous trunk draining deoxygenated blood from the upper extremity and pectoral region
- Innervation
- Sympathetic perivascular plexus
- Movement & chain
- Subject to dynamic compression in the costoclavicular space during overhead arm elevation
- Palpation
- Not directly palpable; situated medial and anterior to the axillary artery
- Clinical
- Axillary vein thrombosis (Paget-Schroetter syndrome / effort-induced upper extremity DVT)
- Segmental innervation
- Venous drainage returns via subclavian vein to superior vena cava
- In clinical practice
- Site for ultrasound-guided central venous access and critical structure to protect during axillary clearance
- Region in the model
- Upper limb