The middle collateral artery is one of the two terminal branches of the profunda brachii (deep brachial) artery, the other being the radial collateral artery. It descends on the back of the humerus within the medial head of triceps toward the elbow. Behind the lateral epicondyle it joins the interosseous recurrent artery in the arterial network around the elbow.
| Origin | Profunda brachii artery, behind the humerus |
|---|---|
| Course | Descends in the medial head of triceps on the posterior aspect of the arm to reach the back of the elbow |
| Branches |
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The middle collateral artery is part of the elbow anastomosis, which keeps the forearm perfused if the brachial artery is tied off below the origin of the profunda brachii. It may bleed during the posterior approach to the distal humerus and the triceps-splitting or triceps-reflecting approaches for fracture fixation. It also supplies the triceps and the posterior elbow capsule.
Splitting the triceps to reach distal humerus fractures can cut the middle collateral artery, causing bleeding that is controlled by cautery or ligation without harm to the limb.
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