Anatomy & Organs

Arteria subclavia – structure, function & diseases

Subclavian artery

The subclavian artery is called the subclavian artery . It is responsible for the complete blood supply to the arm .

What is the subclavian artery?

The subclavian artery is the subclavian artery. What is meant by this is a pair of blood vessels close to the trunk .

The main task of the artery is to supply blood to the arm. Together with its branches, it forms the most important arteries that supply the upper arm, shoulder and elbow .

In addition, the neck, the front wall of the chest (thorax) and the occipital area of ​​the brain also receive blood from it.

Anatomy & Structure

The left subclavian artery originates in the aortic arch . In contrast, the right subclavian artery arises together with the common carotid artery in the arm-head vascular trunk ( truncus brachiocephalicus ).The subclavian artery runs from the scalenus gap, which is formed by the musculus scalenus medius and the musculus scalenus anterior and is located below the collarbone and the musculus pectorialis minor, towards the lower edge of the musculus pectoralis major . From this point, the artery is called the axillary artery. The scale gap is a bottleneck. So there is a risk that the blood flow will be impaired. In medicine, this is called scalene syndrome .

Several branches are formed from the subclavian artery. These are the vertebral artery , the internal thoracic artery, the costocervical trunk and the thyrocervical trunk. The vertebral artery runs in the foramina of the cervical transverse processes in the direction of the foramen magnum within the cranial cavity. Together with the internal carotid artery, it is responsible for supplying the human brain. Inside the skull , it joins the vertebral artery on the opposite side of the body to form the basilar artery. This takes care of the supply of parts of the endbrain, the cerebellum and the brainstem .

Behind the sternum is the arteria thoracica interna, from which the front chest wall, the upper parts of the abdominal wall, the diaphragm , the heart sac (pericardium) and the mediastinum ( mediastinum ) receive their blood . It forms a small branch that runs about an inch down parallel to the edge of the sternum. In medicine, the internal thoracic artery is also known as the internal mammary artery.

The costocervical trunk marks the origin of the deep cervical artery and the supreme intercostal artery. The arteria suprascapularis, the arteria cervicalis ascendens, the arteria transversa colli and the arteria thyroidea inferior originate from the thyrocervical trunk. The subclavian artery is accompanied by the subclavian vein. This is located further down between the anterior scalene gap and the anterior scalene muscle.

Function & Tasks

The primary task of the subclavian artery is to supply blood to the upper extremities. In addition, the neck region and the chest are also supplied with blood from it. The branch of the subclavian artery, the vertebral artery, also supplies the brain with blood. Without this arterial supply, people would suffer from circulatory disorders, which become noticeable through various complaints.

Diseases

The subclavian artery can sometimes also be affected by diseases. This primarily includes the so-called subclavian steal syndrome , which is also known as vertebral pinch phenomenon or subclavian stenosis. What is meant by this is a circulatory disorder in the human brain caused by a narrowing of the subclavian artery. The circulatory disorder is rare and is usually caused by calcified blood vessels.In healthy people, the blood can flow easily via the main artery (aorta) and the subclavian artery in the direction of the brachial arteries. However, if there is a pronounced narrowing or even occlusion of the clavicle artery, not enough blood can get into the affected arm. Because of this, the arm bleeds blood from the brain, taking a detour via the vertebral artery, which otherwise supplies the brain.

By doing this, the blood flow in the vertebral artery is reversed so that its blood goes to the subclavian artery instead of to the brain. This bypasses the constriction of the subclavian artery and the arm now receives its blood from the vertebral artery. This in turn gets its blood from the carotid artery, which in turn is supplied by the main artery or the truncus brachiocephalicus. However, due to this compensatory process, the brain lacks important blood. This is especially true if the arm has an increased need for blood when it is moving.

Subclavian steal syndrome can affect both the right and left side of the body. The risk of developing subclavian steal syndrome is greatest when the affected person suffers from arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). This vascular disease causes narrowing of the blood vessels. Elevated blood lipid levels , tobacco consumption and a lack of exercise are classified as risk factors . In some cases, however, vascular malformations are also responsible for subclavian stenosis.

The subclavian steal syndrome is noticeable through various symptoms. These include paralysis of the eye muscles , visual disturbances , dizziness , tinnitus (ringing in the ears), balance disorders, sensitivity disorders , swallowing disorders , speech disorders and headaches in the back of the head. Even paralysis and impaired consciousness are possible. Subclavian steal syndrome is usually treated with angioplasty , which involves inserting a balloon catheter into the affected arteriesbe expanded. It is not uncommon for stents to be placed in addition .

In medicine, the subclavian artery is also used to repair an aortic isthmus stenosis during an operation. This procedure is called subclavian artery reverse surgery.

Lisa Newlon
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Hello! I am Lisa Newlon, and I am a medical writer and researcher with over 10 years of experience in the healthcare industry. I have a Master’s degree in Medicine, and my deep understanding of medical terminology, practices, and procedures has made me a trusted source of information in the medical world.