BILATERAL VARIATIONS IN PATTERNS OF BRANCHING OF THE AXILLARY ARTERY AND PRESENCE OF COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN MEDIAN AND MUSCULOCUTANEOUS NERVES

During routine dissection, was found bilateral arterial y nervous variations in a 60 years old male embalmed cadaver. First part of axillary artery did not give any branch, the second part of axillary artery gave off only three branches: Lateral Thoracic artery, thoracoacromial artery and large common trunk which later gave off thoracodorsal, circumflex scapular artery, subscapular, Posterior circumflex humeral artery. The third part of axillary artery gave off only anterior circumflex humeral artery. In both right and left arm the musculocutaneous nerve fused with the median nerve almost 5 cm proximal to elbow joint after the emergence of lateral cutaneous branch for forearm. It is important to be aware of this variations while planning a surgery in the region of axilla o arm, as these arteries and nerves are more liable to be injured during operations.