Unilateral High Division of Brachial Artery

Background: Accurate knowledge of variation pattern of the major arteries of upper limb is of considerable practical importance in the conduct of surgery in the arm, forearm and hand however brachial artery and its terminal branches variations are less common. Introduction: The brachial artery, a continuation of the axillary artery, begins at the distal border of the tendon of teres major and ends about a centimeter distal to the elbow joint by dividing into the radial and ulnar arteries. Aim: Present study is to evaluate the anatomical variations of brachial artery and its morphology, embryology and clinical importance. Study material: During routine dissection of upper limbs in Kakatiya medical college, Warangal, noticed variations in branching pattern in brachial artery. Result: The brachial artery is terminated into radial and ulnar arteries in upper 1/3rd of the arm. Conclusion: Detailed knowledge of anatomy and variations of brachial artery is necessary for radiologists, vascular surgeons for performing angiography prior to surgical interventions and clinicians in day-to-day practice for measurement of blood pressure using sphygmomanometer cuff in the arm.