Profunda brachii

Artery: Profunda brachii
Diagram of the anastomosis around the elbow-joint. (A. profunda brachii labeled at upper right.)
Latin	arteria profunda brachii
Gray's	subject #150 591
Supplies	(deltoid muscle) triceps brachii
Source	brachial artery
Branches	radial collateral medial collateral branches to the deltoid muscle

The arteria profunda brachii (also known as deep artery of the arm and the deep brachial artery) is a large vessel which arises from the lateral and posterior part of the brachial artery, just below the lower border of the Teres major.

Course

It follows closely the radial nerve, running at first backward between the medial and lateral heads of the triceps brachii, then along the groove for the radial nerve (the radial sulcus), where it is covered by the lateral head of the triceps brachii, to the lateral side of the arm; there it pierces the lateral intermuscular septum, and, descending between the brachioradialis and the brachialis to the front of the lateral epicondyle of the humerus, ends by anastomosing with the radial recurrent artery.

Branches and anastomoses

It gives branches to the deltoid muscle (which, however, primarily is supplied by the posterior circumflex humeral artery) and to the muscles between which it lies; it supplies an occasional nutrient artery which enters the humerus behind the deltoid tuberosity.

A branch ascends between the long and lateral heads of the triceps brachii to anastomose with the posterior humeral circumflex artery; the medial collateral artery, a branch, descends in the middle head of the triceps brachii and assists in forming the anastomosis above the olecranon; and, lastly, a radial collateral artery runs down behind the lateral intermuscular septum to the back of the lateral epicondyle of the humerus, where it anastomoses with the interosseous recurrent and the inferior ulnar collateral arteries.

Additional images

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  The brachial artery.

• 

  Arteries of the back of the forearm and hand.

External links

• profunda%20brachii%20artery at eMedicine Dictionary
• lesson4arteriesofarm 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 As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.