AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY ON ANATOMICAL VARIATIONS OF BRACHIAL ARTERY AND ITS CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Introduction: rd Brachial artery, the principal artery of the arm, begins as the continuation of 3 part of axillary artery at the level of lower border of teres major muscle and ends at the level of the neck of radius by dividing into radial and ulnar arteries. There are wide variations in the course, termination and branching pattern of brachial artery. The present study was done in Methods: 30 cadavers in department of anatomy, K.P.C. Medical College, Kolkata to nd out anatomical variations of the brachial artery. Mean length of the brachial artery Observation And Results: was 26.74 cm on the right side and 27.12cm on the left side. In 3.33% cases brachial artery runs supercial to the median nerve. The brachial artery divided below the intercondylar line in 93.33% cases and above the intercondylar line in 6.67% cases. In one cadaver radial artery and ulnar artery arose directly from the third part of axillary artery on both sides. The profunda brachii artery arose from brachial artery in 95% cases, from third part of axillary artery in 3.33% cases and from high origin of radial artery in 1.67% cases. In proximal part of the arm the median nerve was found anterior to the brachial artery in 91.67%, medial to the artery in 5% and posterior to the artery in 3.3% cases. The knowledge of Conclusion: variations of brachial artery and its branching pattern are useful for physicians, surgeons, interventional radiologist in various surgical, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.