Superficial Brachial Artery: Its Embryological and Clinical Significance.

ABSTRACT

The principal arteries of the upper limb show a wide range of variations that are of considerable interest to orthopedic surgeons, plastic surgeons, radiologists and anatomists. We present here a case of bilateral superficial brachial artery found during the routine dissection of the upper limbs of a 50-year-old female cadaver. In both the limbs, the third part of the axillary artery divided into superficial brachial and deep brachial arteries; denominated according to their relation to the median nerve. The superficial brachial artery continued in the arm without giving any branches and ended in the cubital fossa dividing into radial and ulnar arteries. The deep brachial artery gave rise to anterior circumflex humeral, posterior circumflex humeral and profunda brachii arteries. Earlier superficial brachial artery has been reported with a prevalence rate varying from 0.2% to 25% but bilateral variation is extremely rare. The great variability of this arterial pattern may be attributed to the failure of regression of some paths of the embryonic arterial trunks.1 The embryological and clinical significance of this variant are also discussed in detail.