Axilla
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At the time the article was created Henry Knipe had no recorded disclosures.
View Henry Knipe's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Joel Hng had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Joel Hng's current disclosures- Axillae
- Armpits
- Armpit
The axilla (plural: axillae), colloquially known as the armpit, is a space located between the upper limb and thorax, which permits the passage of major neurovascular structures.
Gross anatomy
The axilla is pyramidal in shape with its apex opening superiorly towards the base of the neck between the subclavius muscle, first rib, superior border of the scapula and clavicle. The base/floor is composed of tough axillary fascia, which extends between the chest wall (at the level of the 4th rib), arm, and the posterior boundary.
The intercostobrachial nerve supplies the skin of the axilla.
Boundaries
anteriorly: pectoralis minor, clavipectoral fascia, clavicle, pectoralis major (forming the anterior axillary fold)
posteriorly: subscapularis, teres major, scapula, latissimus dorsi (forming the posterior axillary fold)
medially: serratus anterior overlying chest wall to the level of the 4th rib
laterally: intertubercular groove of the humerus
Contents
The axilla has an abundance of fat, which surrounds the following structures to allows movement during scapulothoracic motion:
-
vessels
axillary artery and branches
axillary vein and branches
-
nerves
-
muscles and tendons
tendons of the long and short heads of biceps brachii
A safe technique for insertion of intercostal catheters describes anatomical landmarks involving the axilla and a 'triangle of safety'.
References
- 1. Rosse C, Gaddum-Rosse P. Hollinshead's textbook of anatomy. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. (1997) ISBN:0397512562. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Instant Anatomy - Axilla
- 3. Last's anatomy, regional and applied. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:044304662X. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 4. Butler P, Mitchell A, Healy JC. Applied Radiological Anatomy. Cambridge University Press. (2012) ISBN:0521766664. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 5. Susan Standring. Gray's Anatomy. ISBN: 9780702052309
- 6. Moore KL, Agur AMR, Dalley AF. Clinically oriented anatomy. LWW. ISBN:1451119453. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
Incoming Links
- Intercostal spaces
- Spence tail
- Triangular space (disambiguation)
- Axillary nerve
- Accessory breast tissue
- Intercostal nerve
- Clavipectoral fascia
- Brachial plexus
- Axillary vein
- Lateral thoracic vein
- Furuncle
- Quadrangular space
- Hidradenitis suppurativa
- Alar thoracic artery
- Axillary artery
- Medical abbreviations and acronyms (A)
- Neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome
- Intercostobrachial nerve
- Thoracoacromial artery
- Suspensory ligament of the axilla
Related articles: Anatomy: Upper limb
-
skeleton of the upper limb
- clavicle
- scapula
- humerus
- radius
- ulna
- hand
- accessory ossicles of the upper limb
- accessory ossicles of the shoulder
- accessory ossicles of the elbow
-
accessory ossicles of the wrist (mnemonic)
- os centrale carpi
- os epilunate
- os epitriquetrum
- os styloideum
- os hamuli proprium
- lunula
- os triangulare
- trapezium secondarium
- os paratrapezium
- os radiostyloideum (persistent radial styloid)
- joints of the upper limb
-
pectoral girdle
-
shoulder joint
- articulations
- associated structures
- joint capsule
- bursae
- ligaments
- movements
- scapulothoracic joint
-
glenohumeral joint
- arm flexion
- arm extension
- arm abduction
- arm adduction
- arm internal rotation (medial rotation)
- arm external rotation (lateral rotation)
- circumduction
- arterial supply - scapular anastomosis
- ossification centers
-
shoulder joint
-
elbow joint
- proximal radioulnar joint
- ligaments
- associated structures
- movements
- alignment
- arterial supply - elbow anastomosis
- development
-
wrist joint
- articulations
-
ligaments
- intrinsic ligaments
- extrinsic ligaments
- radioscaphoid ligament
- dorsal intercarpal ligament
- dorsal radiotriquetral ligament
- dorsal radioulnar ligament
- volar radioulnar ligament
- radioscaphocapitate ligament
- long radiolunate ligament
- Vickers ligament
- short radiolunate ligament
- ulnolunate ligament
- ulnotriquetral ligament
- ulnocapitate ligament
- ulnar collateral ligament
- associated structures
- extensor retinaculum
- flexor retinaculum
- joint capsule
- movements
- alignment
- ossification centers
-
hand joints
- articulations
- carpometacarpal joint
-
metacarpophalangeal joints
- palmar ligament (plate)
- collateral ligament
-
interphalangeal joints
- palmar ligament (plate)
- collateral ligament
- movements
- ossification centers
- articulations
-
pectoral girdle
- spaces of the upper limb
- muscles of the upper limb
- shoulder girdle
- anterior compartment of the arm
- posterior compartment of the arm
-
anterior compartment of the forearm
- superficial
- intermediate
- deep
-
posterior compartment of the forearm (extensors)
- superficial
- deep
- muscles of the hand
-
accessory muscles
- elbow
- volar wrist midline
- palmaris longus profundus
- aberrant palmaris longus
- volar wrist radial-side
- accessory flexor digitorum superficialis indicis
- flexor indicis profundus
- flexor carpi radialis vel profundus
- accessory head of the flexor pollicis longus (Gantzer muscle, common)
- volar wrist ulnar-side
- dorsal wrist
- blood supply to the upper limb
-
arteries
- subclavian artery (mnemonic)
- axillary artery
- brachial artery (proximal portion)
- ulnar artery
- radial artery
- veins
-
arteries
- innervation of the upper limb
- intercostobrachial nerve
-
brachial plexus (mnemonic)
- branches from the roots
- branches from the trunks
- branches from the cords
- lateral cord
- posterior cord
- medial cord
- terminal branches
- lymphatic drainage of the upper limb
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