Scapular circumflex artery

Circumflex scapular artery
The scapular and circumflex arteries. (Scapular circumflex visible at center.)
The axillary artery and its branches. (Scap. cir. visible near center.)
Details
Source	subscapular artery
Identifiers
Latin	arteria circumflexa scapulae
Dorlands /Elsevier	a_61/12153941
TA	A12.2.09.015
FMA	23179
Anatomical terminology []

The circumflex scapular artery (scapular circumflex artery, dorsalis scapulae artery) is a branch of the subscapular artery and part of the scapular anastomoses.

It curves around the axillary border of the scapula, traveling through the anatomical "Triangular space" made up of the Teres minor superiorly, the Teres major inferiorly, and the long head of the Triceps laterally.

It enters the infraspinatous fossa under cover of the Teres minor, and anastomoses with the transverse scapular artery (suprascapular) and the descending branch of the transverse cervical (a.k.a. dorsal scapular artery).

In its course it gives off two branches:

In addition to these, small branches are distributed to the back part of the Deltoideus and the long head of the Triceps brachii, anastomosing with an ascending branch of the profunda brachii.

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)