Axilla
Description
Name
- Axilla
- Axillary region
- Armpit
- Underarm
- Oxter
General
- Area that lies beneath the glenohumeral joint
- Located at the junction of the upper limb and thorax
- Passageway for neurovascular and muscular anatomy
- Overall, it is shaped like a pyramid with four sides, an apex and a base
Borders
- Apex
- Lateral wall
- Formed by bicipital groove of the humerus
- Medial wall
- Consists of serratus anterior, thoracic wall
- Anterior wall
- Contains pectoralis major, underlying pectoralis minor, subclavius
- Posterior wall
- Formed by subscapularis, teres major, latissimus dorsi
- Size and shape vary with abduction
- Apex decreased markedly with full abduction, increasing risk of compression
Contents
- Axillary Artery and its branches
- Axillary Vein and its tributaries
- Brachial Plexus and branches
- Axillary lymph nodes
- Short head of biceps brachii, coracobrachialis
- Axillary fat and aereolar tissue
Passageways Exiting the Axilla
- Most contents leave inferiorly and laterally into the upper limb
- Quadrangular Space transmits axillary nerve, posterior circumflex humeral artery
- Clavipectoral Triangle transmits cephalic vein, medial and lateral pectoral nerves
Clinical Significance
- Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
- Lymph node biopsy
See Also
References
- ↑ Macéa, José Rafael, and José Humberto Tavares Guerreiro Fregnani. "Anatomía de la Pared Torácica, Axila y Mama." International Journal of Morphology 24.4 (2006): 691-704.
- ↑ Image courtesy of teachmeanatomy.info
- ↑ Gordon, Amber, and Khalid Alsayouri. "Anatomy, shoulder and upper limb, axilla." (2019).
- ↑ Cocco, Giulio, et al. "Ultrasound imaging of the axilla." Insights into Imaging 14.1 (2023): 78.
- ↑ But, Michał, et al. "A Comparison of the Effectiveness of the Serratus Anterior Plane Block and Erector Spinae Plane Block to that of the Paravertebral Block in the Surgical Treatment of Breast Cancer—A Randomized, Prospective, Single-Blinded Study." Journal of Clinical Medicine 13.16 (2024): 4836.