BACKGROUND The posterior and anterior circumflex humeral artery (PCHA and ACHA) are crucial for the blood supply of humeral head. We aimed to identify simple landmarks for guiding the quick access to PCHA and ACHA, which might help to protect the arteries during the surgical management of proximal humeral fractures. METHODS Twenty fresh cadavers were dissected to measure the distances from th...

The axillary artery is the continuation of the subclavian artery beyond the outer border of the first rib. The artery is divided into three parts by the pectoralis minor muscle. The first part of the artery gives superior thoracic artery. The second part of the artery gives lateral thoracic and thoracoacromial branches. The third part gives subscapular, anterior circumflex and posterior circumf...

Elite overhead athletes are at risk of vascular injury due to repetitive abduction and external rotation of the dominant arm. The posterior circumflex humeral artery (PCHA) is prone to degeneration, aneurysm formation, and thrombosis in elite volleyball players and baseball pitchers. The prevalence of PCHA-related thromboembolic complications is unknown in this population. However, the prevalen...

Fractures of the capitellum are rare injures of the elbow rarely seen in adolescents. We report a case of a 14 year-old boy who sustained a bilateral Hahn-Steinthal type fracture of his capitelum humeri. To our knowledge, such bilateral injury has not been reported before in teenagers. This paper reviews the literature regarding the epidemiology, classification and management of this rare pedia...

Introduction The brachial plexus is a complex network of nerves extending from the neck to axilla supplying motor sensory and sympathetic fibers to the upper extremity and superficial muscles of the back. It is formed by the fusion of the anterior primary rami of the C5, C6, C7, C8, and T1 spinal nerves, with occasional communications from C4 and T2 making it either pre-fixed or post-fixed, res...

Congenital absence of left circumflex artery is a rare congenital anomaly of the coronary arteries. The prevalence of the anomaly in different studies ranges from 0.6% to 1.3%. Of these, 80% are benign and asymptomatic and 20% are clinically important. We report a 56-year-old man presented with acute resting chest pain who was diagnosed as having acute anterolateral infarction accompanied by el...

BACKGROUND Proximal humerus fractures are one of the most common fractures. Intramedullary locked nailing is becoming a popular alternative treatment, especially for easier fracture patterns. Although axillary nerve injury has been reported, no study has compared the safety of the proximal locking options relative to the axillary nerve and the ascending branch of the anterior circumflex artery....

BACKGROUND A detailed description of the vascular anatomy of the shoulder capsule is lacking, yet surgical procedures may put this capsular blood supply at risk. We hypothesized that a hypovascular area is present in the capsule. The purpose of the present study was to describe the vascular anatomy of the human glenohumeral capsule and ligaments and its relevance to surgical treatment of the sh...