Suprascapular Artery in a Male Specimen, Lateral View

Description

Running from the thyrocervical trunk of the subclavian artery, the suprascapular artery courses laterally across the root of the neck toward the superior border of the scapula. In left lateral view, it lies deep to the clavicle and infrahyoid region, passing anterior to the scalene mass and phrenic nerve territory before reaching the suprascapular notch near the base of the coracoid process. The vessel then tracks into the supraspinous fossa deep to trapezius, with downstream branches expected to supply supraspinatus and, after traversing around the lateral border of the scapular spine, infraspinatus; adjacent osseous landmarks include the cervical vertebrae, ribs, scapula, humerus, and proximal radius and ulna. Anatomists and surgeons care about this artery because its relationship to the superior transverse scapular ligament and suprascapular nerve is a classic compression and exposure problem. The usual arrangement places the artery over the ligament while the nerve passes under it, a configuration remembered in suprascapular neuropathy discussions and checked during arthroscopic or open decompression at the suprascapular notch. Collateral flow through the scapular anastomosis also becomes clinically visible when proximal subclavian stenosis or ligation shifts perfusion demands to the dorsal scapular and circumflex scapular pathways. A small vessel, a big landmark. Use this asset to support teaching of the thyrocervical trunk and posterior shoulder perfusion in gross anatomy, regional anesthesia curricula (interscalene and suprascapular blocks), and operative atlases covering posterior shoulder approaches and notch decompression. It also fits vascular overviews in orthopedic sports medicine texts and radiology teaching files that correlate CTA or MR angiography with surface and bony landmarks. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.