A Study On Variations In The Branching Pattern Of Axillary Artery in North Indian population

Abstract

Introduction - Axillary artery, a continuation of subclavian artery, is the main (axis) artery to the upper limb. Normally it gives rise to six named branches before continuing as brachial artery. Variability in the origin of certain branches of the axillary artery is frequently apparent but not uniformly studied. The objective of this study is to present the abnormalities in the branching pattern of axillary artery with a view to clarification and quantification of both the “regularity” and “variability” in these vessels.Aim - The aim of this study is to present the variations in the branching pattern of axillary artery with a view to clarify and quantify both the “regularity” and “variability” in these vessels.Material and Methods – The current study was conducted on 40 formalin embalmed cadavers bilaterally, during routine dissection done at Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences, Jalandhar. The axillary artery and all of its branches were observed from their point of origin and traced to their termination, for any morphological variation.Results – Out of a total of 80 limbs studied, 21 showed variant branching pattern of Axillary artery. Six types of variations were noted in its branching pattern, with one type of variation being present bilaterally in two cadavers. One of the variations is a rare and unique entity. The percentage of variations were also calculated to fulfil the objective of this study holistically.Conclusion - Such anomalous branching pattern may represent persisting branches of the capillary plexus of the developing limb buds. These variations have pragmatic importance for surgeons for accurate diagnosis and surgical procedures and also for vascular radiologists for construing angiographic images.