The axillary artery is the continuation of the subclavian across the axilla, becoming the brachial artery at the lower border of the teres major. The brachial plexus cords surround it in the axilla — lateral cord laterally, medial cord medially, and posterior cord posteriorly — making the axilla a neurovascular bundle of great surgical significance. Axillary artery injury in anterior shoulder dislocation, especially in elderly patients with atherosclerotic vessels, is a limb-threatening emergency.
| Origin | Continuation of the subclavian artery at the lateral border of the first rib |
|---|
Axillary artery injury from anterior shoulder dislocation occurs more commonly in elderly patients whose atherosclerotic vessels cannot accommodate the stretching. Absence of the radial pulse after reduction requires immediate vascular assessment. The axillary artery is also at risk during shoulder arthroplasty, Latarjet coracoid transfer, and axillary lymph node dissection. Thoracodorsal artery (from the subscapular artery, part 3) preservation is critical when the latissimus dorsi flap is planned for breast reconstruction.
Limb-threatening vascular emergency from shoulder dislocation particularly in elderly patients, presenting with absent radial pulse after reduction and requiring urgent vascular surgical assessment and repair.
