A Cadaveric Study On Lateral Thoracic Artery

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Lateral thoracic artery is one of the branches of second part of axillary artery which arises near thelateral border of pectoralis minor.Aim and Objectives: To study the variations in the origin of Lateral thoracic artery and note its pattern.Materials and methods: 54 axillae from embalmed cadavers allotted for dissection were used for the study.There were 22 male and 5 female cadavers, with ages ranging from 60 to 80 years, specimens of both sides wereused.Results: The commonest variation was common trunk for Lateral thoracic artery and Thoracodorsal Artery(9.5%).Conclusion: The study was carried out to show important variations in the branching pattern of lateral thoracicartery, in order to orient the surgeons performing reconstructive plastic surgery and modified radial mastectomy.