Blood Vessels of the Shoulder, Posterior View

Description

Posterior shoulder vasculature is rendered with arteries in red and veins in blue, mapped over the scapular region and proximal humerus of an adult male. Along the posterior thoracic wall, branches of the subclavian artery track laterally to the axilla as the axillary artery, then continue distally as the brachial artery, while the accompanying venous pathways converge toward the axillary and subclavian veins. Around the scapula, the suprascapular vessels course superior to the spine of scapula toward the supraspinous fossa, the circumflex scapular vessels wrap along the lateral border through the triangular space, and the thoracodorsal vessels descend along the posterior axillary fold deep to latissimus dorsi. Fine arterioles and capillary beds are distributed through the posterior deltoid, rotator cuff region, and scapular musculature. Posterior views like this are where the collateral circulation around the scapula makes intuitive sense: flow can be maintained between subclavian and axillary systems through anastomoses involving the suprascapular, dorsal scapular, circumflex scapular, and posterior circumflex humeral arteries. That matters in proximal arterial occlusive disease and in trauma where axillary artery injury can coexist with posterior shoulder dislocation or proximal humeral fracture, altering distal perfusion despite an apparently preserved scapular network. Surgeons also rely on these relationships when raising a scapular or parascapular flap based on the circumflex scapular artery, and when protecting the thoracodorsal pedicle during latissimus dorsi transfer or breast reconstruction. Use this plate for teaching upper limb vascular anatomy in gross anatomy and surgical anatomy courses, for illustrating scapular anastomoses in vascular surgery or emergency medicine content, and for publisher-ready figures in orthopaedics and reconstructive surgery chapters that discuss posterior approaches to the shoulder and axilla. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.