THE ANATOMY OF THE SUBCLAVIAN VEIN CATHETERIZATION / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

Some anatomical aspects in application for the vein catheterization on the subclavian and other veins of the neck have been studied on 85 cadavers in Chinese adults.The subclavian vein measures 1.16cm in diameter and 3.76 cm in length. It lies 2 cm deep under the skin and muscles in the infraclavicular region. The angle between the vein and the clavicle is 38?. It usually lies behind the medial third of the clavicle and is separated from the subclavian artery, brachial plexus and the cupula of the pleura by the anterior scalenus muscle. This muscle is 1.19 cm in width and 0.37 cm in thickness, much thinner than the thickness mentioned in the previous literature. The distance from the origin of the subclavian vein to the opening of the superior vena cava into the right atrium is 13.85 cm on the right, and 16.36 cm on the left.The diameter of the internal jugular vein and its topographical relationship to the origin of the sternocleidomastoid muscle were also observed. The internal jugular vein is 1.26 cm in diameter, and lies under the clavicular head of the sternocleidomastoid muscle in 58.75%, between the two heads of this muscle in 41.25%.The external jugular vein measures 0.63cm in diameter, but its location and termination are more variable.The application of these data in vein catheterization was also discussed in this article.