ANATOMICAL ANALYSIS OF ORIGIN, BRANCHING PATTERN, AND VARIATIONS OF SUBCLAVIAN SUBCLAVIAN ARTERY: A CADAVERIC STUDY

Abstract

Background: The subclavian artery and its branches reside in a compact and complex anatomical space. The subclavian artery's location makes it difficult to expose during surgery, and there is also much uncertainty and variability in the literature about the subclavian artery. Aim and Objectives: to study anatomical analysis of the origin, branching pattern, and variations of the subclavian artery. Method and Material: 70 subclavian arteries in 34, Twenty male and twenty female adult cadavers were dissected bilaterally, and their origin, termination, course, and branching pattern were investigated. Results: The origin and termination of the subclavian artery were normal throughout. The branching pattern could be classified into three types: Type I (50 arteries), Type II (17 arteries), and Type III (1 artery). The artery showed a normal course in all cases except one with a transfixed course, i.e., it perforated the Scalenus anterior muscle. Conclusion: Comparison and analysis of the results with previous works showed that the origin, termination, course, and branching pattern of the subclavian artery exhibited conventionality. This information shall, thereby, contribute to the literature and aid anatomists, head and neck surgeons, vascular surgeons, and radiologists.