brachial vein

Examples of brachial vein in the following topics:

• Veins of the Upper Limbs

  • The major deep veins of the arm are the radial and ulnar veins, which run along the length of their respective bones and merge at the elbow to form the paired brachial vein.
  • The brachial vein runs from the elbow up to the shoulder parallel to the brachial artery.
  • The major superficial veins of the upper limb are the cephalic, median cubital and basilic veins.
  • The basilic vein follows a similar path but is located medially to the cephalic vein.
  • At the shoulder, the basilic vein passes deep into the arm and merges with the brachial veins to form the axillary vein, to which the cephaliac vein merges, forming the subclavian vein.

• Brachial Plexus

  • The brachial plexus is formed by the four lower cervical spinal nerves and the first thoracic spinal nerve.
  • The brachial plexus proceeds through the neck, the axilla (armpit region), and into the arm.
  • Lesions on the brachial plexus can lead to severe functional impairment.
  • The brachial plexus is divided into roots, trunks, divisions, cords, and branches.
  • The right brachial plexus with its short branches, viewed from the front.

• Injuries to Nerves Emerging from the Brachial Plexus

  • Brachial plexus injuries, or lesions, are caused by damage to those nerves.
  • Brachial plexus injuries can occur as a result of shoulder trauma, tumours, or inflammation.
  • But in general, brachial plexus lesions can be classified as either traumatic or obstetric.
  • Although injuries can occur at any time, many brachial plexus injuries happen during birth: the baby's shoulders may become impacted during the birth process causing the brachial plexus nerves to stretch or tear.
  • Describe the effects of injuries to the nerves of the brachial plexus

• Veins of the Head and Neck

  • The superficial external jugular vein is formed from the retromandibular vein and the posterior auricular vein at a point adjacent to the mandible.
  • The external jugular vein passes down the neck and underneath the clavicle before draining into the subclavian vein.
  • Upon exiting the neck, the internal jugular vein merges with the subclavian vein to form the brachiocephalic vein.
  • Additional veins such as the occipital, deep cervical, and thyroid veins drain directly into the brachiocephalic vein.
  • The veins of head and neck are labeled in blue, with an arrow pointing to the auricular vein.

• Veins of the Lower Limbs

  • The posterior and anterior tibial veins return blood from the calf, ankle, and foot and merge into the popliteal vein behind the knee.
  • The popliteal vein then carries blood from the knee joint up through the thigh.
  • The femoral vein merges with the great saphenous vein in the groin to form the external iliac vein.
  • Running the full length of the leg, making it the longest vein in the body, the great saphenous vein is a superficial vein that returns blood from the foot and superficial muscles of the leg before merging with the femoral vein to form the external iliac vein.
  • Outline the flow of blood in the veins of the lower limbs

• Varicose Veins

  • To accommodate the retrograde or reflux flow, the veins enlarge even more.
  • Varicose veins are most often found in the superficial veins of the legs, which are subject to high pressure when standing.
  • Spider veins are less than one millimeter in diameter, whereas varicose veins are larger than this in diameter.
  • The traditional surgical treatment has been vein stripping, or removal of the affected veins.
  • The middle image shows where varicose veins might appear in a leg.

• Veins of the Abdomen and Pelvis

  • A number of veins remove deoxygenated blood from the abdomen and pelvis.
  • The external iliac vein, the upward continuation of the femoral vein, passes upward along the pelvis and ends to form the common iliac vein.The tributaries of the external iliac vein are the inferior epigastric, deep iliac circumflex, and pubic veins.
  • The superior epigastric vein refers to a blood vessel that carries deoxygenated blood and drains into the internal thoracic vein.
  • The inferior epigastric vein refers to the vein that drains into the external iliac vein and arises from the superior epigastric vein.
  • The veins of the abdomen and lower limb include the inferior vena cava, the common iliac veins, the external iliac veins, and their tributaries.

• Principal Veins

  • Deep veins are often of larger caliber than superficial veins and carry the majority of the blood within the circulatory system.
  • Communicating veins, or perforator veins if they pass through a large muscle mass, directly connect superficial and direct veins.
  • The above veins form part of the systemic circulatory system.
  • The venae cavae are the veins with the largest diameter.
  • There are four pulmonary veins, two from each lung, each of which forms from three to four bronchial veins.

• Veins of the Thorax

  • Bilaterally, it arises from the superior epigastric vein, accompanies the internal thoracic artery along its course, and terminates in the brachiocephalic vein.
  • The supreme intercostal vein is a paired vein that drains the first intercostal space on its corresponding side.
  • It usually drains into the brachiocephalic vein.
  • The renal veins from the kidney and hepatic veins of the liver drain directly into the inferior vena cava.
  • Additionally, the superior and inferior phrenic veins drain the diaphragm and usually open into the internal mammary vein and inferior vena cava, respectively.

• Arterial Blood Pressure

  • Pressure is typically measured with a blood pressure cuff (sphygmomanometer) wrapped around a person's upper arm, which measures the pressure in the brachial artery.
  • Blood pressure in the arteries is much higher than in the veins, in part due to receiving blood from the heart after contraction, but also due to their contractile capacity.
  • The tunica media of arteries is thickened compared to veins, with smoother muscle fibers and elastic tissue.