Blood Vessels of the Forelimb

Question 1

what are the 4 branches of the axillary artery in all species?

Answer 1

1. external thoracic artery
2. lateral thoracic artery
3. subscapular artery
4. cranial circumflex humeral artery

Question 2

what are the 2 branches of the subscapular artery, that branches from the axillary artery in all species?

Answer 2

1. thoracodorsal
2. caudal circumflex humeral

Question 3

what are the 8 branches of the brachial artery in all species? (identify one that is just in canines

Answer 3

1. bicipital
2. collateral ulnar
3. superficial brachial (dogs only)
4. transverse cubital
5. common interosseus
6. median
7. radial
8. deep antebrachial

Question 4

what is the branch from the superficial antebrachial artery in dogs called?

Answer 4

cranial superficial antebrachial

Question 5

what are the 3 branches of the common interosseus artery?

Answer 5

1. cranial interosseus
2. caudal interosseus
3. ulnar interosseus

Question 6

what are 4 very distal additional branches of the brachial artery in dogs?

Answer 6

palmar arteries:
1. medial palmar
2. lateral palmar
palmar digital arteries
3. medial palmar digital
4. lateral palmar digital

Question 7

what are 3 very distal additional branches of the brachial artery in bovines?

Answer 7

1. common digital III artery
2. common digital II artery
3. common digital IV artery

Question 8

how are most veins named and identified?

Answer 8

most are paired with arteries; so can name them when they run along the arteries with the same name

Question 9

what are 3 UNPAIRED veins in the dog?

Answer 9

1. cephalic vein
2. axillobrachial
3. omobrachial

Question 10

what is the main blood supply for the forelimb of equines? what other artery is the one of the five terminal branches of?

Answer 10

the axillary; one of the 5 terminal branches of the subclavian artery

Question 11

describe the location of the axillary artery in equines

Answer 11

enters the axillary space after crossing the cranial border of the first rib; then descends on the medial aspect of the arm and is referred to as the brachial artery in the brachium

Question 12

what is the first major branch of the axillary artery in equines? describe location

Answer 12

the subscapular artery; runs along the caudal border of the scapula

Question 13

what are the 3 branches of the subscapular artery in equines? describe location

Answer 13

1. thoracodorsal artery: runs along thoracodorsal nerve on latissimus dorsi muscle
2. caudal circumflex humeral: wraps caudally around the humerus
3. cranial circumflex humeral artery: just distal to the shoulder joint; wraps cranially around the humerus

Question 14

what do the circumflex humeral arteries do with each other in equines?

Answer 14

anastomose with eachother

Question 15

what are the 4 branches of the brachial artery/continuation of axillary in brachium?

Answer 15

1. deep brachial artery: pierces triceps, gives off
2. collateral radial artery
3. brachial artery gives off collateral ulnar artery; which runs caudally towards the olecranon and
4. transverse cubital artery: runs cranially

Question 16

when the brachial artery runs under the flexor carpi radialis muscle and runs into the antebrachium, what are the branches?

Answer 16

common interosseus artery: runs thru interosseus space to provide blood supply to extensors

Question 17

when does the brachial artery get a name change to what?

Answer 17

as it runs down the caudal aspect of the forearm just above the carpus, brachial becomes median

Question 18

what are the 3 branches of the median artery in equines?

Answer 18

1. radial (smaller)
2. palmar (smaller)
   radial and palmar come together to form an arch and give off
3. medial metacarpal and
4. lateral metacarpal arteries and
5. lateral palmar artery
   medial and palmar metacarpal arteries run very close to the palmar surfaces of the metacarpal bones

Question 19

what is the main branch of the medial metacarpal artery in equines? function?

Answer 19

medial palmar artery; main blood supply for digit and hoof

Question 20

what happens to the median artery at the fetlock?

Answer 20

splits into medial and lateral palmar digital arteries and runs on the abaxial surfaces of the proximal sesamoid; distal arteries below fetlock give off dorsal and palmar branches and supply blood to distal end of feet; palmar digital branches anastomose to form palmar terminal arch

Question 21

what are the UNPAIRED veins of the equine forelimb? (2)

Answer 21

1. cephalic
2. accessory cephalic

Question 22

compare axillary artery in equines to bovines

Answer 22

provides main blood supply to forelimb in both

Question 23

describe branching of axillary artery in bovines in shoulder

Answer 23

subscapular artery at subscapular region; gives off several branches; including thoracodorsal

Question 24

what are the branches of the brachial artery in bovines?

Answer 24

1. deep brachial artery: near midshaft of humerus; disappears into triceps
2. collateral ulnar artery: just proximal to elbow; courses toward olecranon process of ulna

Question 25

describe branching of the brachial artery in the proximal and medial aspect of the antebrachial region of bovines

Answer 25

common interosseus artery: runs into interosseus space to provide blood supply to extensors

Question 26

when brachial becomes median artery after the common interosseus in bovines, what is function of median and describe branching (4)

Answer 26

median artery is main artery that supplies blood to distal limbs; 1. enters metacarpus and runs medial to the flexor tendons 2. becomes superficial at the fetlock joint 3. runs on the palmar surface of the medial branches of the flexor tendons 4. runs into the interdigital spaces and is called the palmar common digital artery

Question 27

what does the palmar common digital artery divide into in bovines?

Answer 27

divides further into two axial palmar digital arteries that run distally and go through the large foramen in PIII

Question 28

what are the palmar abaxial digital arteries in bovines derived from? what do they do to become what?

Answer 28

derived from other arteries of the forearm; enter the PIII in its palmar surface on the abaxial surface; within PIII, axial and abaxial palmar digital arteries anastomose to form the terminal arch

Question 29

what are the 3 unpaired veins of the bovine?

Answer 29

the cephalic, the accessory cephalic, and their tributaries

Question 30

what are the 4 main branches of the axillary artery?

Answer 30

1. external thoracic 2. lateral thoracic 3. subscapular 4. cranial circumflex humeral

Question 31

what are the 2 branches of the subscapular artery?

Answer 31

1. thoracodorsal 2. caudal circumflex humeral

Question 32

what is the axillary artery called once it enters the brachial region?

Answer 32

brachial artery

Question 33

what are the 5 branches of the brachial nerve?

Answer 33

1. bicipital 2. collateral ulnar 3. superficial brachial (canine only) 4. transverse 5. common interosseus

Question 34

what does the superficial brachial artery (only in dogs) branch into?

Answer 34

cranial superficial antebrachial

Question 35

what is the brachial artery called after the common interosseus?

Answer 35

median artery

Question 36

what are the 2 branches of the median artery?

Answer 36

1. radial 2. deep antebrachial