Dorsal scapular artery

Artery: Dorsal scapular artery
The scapular and circumflex arteries.
Superficial and deep branches from the transverse cervical artery.
Latin	arteria dorsalis scapulae
Gray's	subject #148
Supplies	latissimus dorsi, levator scapulae, rhomboids, trapezius
Source	subclavian or transverse cervical[1]
Vein	dorsal scapular vein

The dorsal scapular artery (or descending scapular artery^[2]) is a blood vessel which supplies the levator scapulae, rhomboids,^[3] and trapezius.

Origin

It most frequently arises from the subclavian artery (the second or third part)^[2], but a quarter of the time it arises from the transverse cervical artery.^[4] In that case, the artery is also known as the deep branch of the transverse cervical artery, and the junction of those two is called cervicodorsal trunk.

Path

It passes beneath the levator scapulae to the superior angle of the scapula, and then descends under the rhomboid muscles along the vertebral border of the scapula as far as the inferior angle.

See also

• Dorsal scapular nerve

Additional images

• 

  Superficial dissection of the right side of the neck, showing the carotid and subclavian arteries.

References

1. ^ dorsal+scapular+artery at eMedicine Dictionary
2. ^ ^{a b} ii/s/scapular_artery_dorsal article at GE's Medcyclopaedia
3. ^ Huelke DF (1962). "The dorsal scapular artery--a proposed term for the artery to the rhomboid muscles". Anat. Rec. 142: 57–61. doi:10.1002/ar.1091420109. PMID 14449723. 
4. ^ Reiner A, Kasser R (1996). "Relative frequency of a subclavian vs. a transverse cervical origin for the dorsal scapular artery in humans.". Anat Rec 244 (2): 265–8. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-0185(199602)244:2<265::AID-AR14>3.0.CO;2-N. PMID 8808401. 

External links

• lesson1ves&nerofpostshoulderstructures at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University)

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.