Trunk of a brachiocephalic: concept and definition

In the anatomy of both humans and animals, the concept of "brachiocephalic trunk" stands out. Today, let's talk about this in more detail.

General concept

The name of this body speaks for itself. The trunk of the brachiocephalus moves from the aorta along the midline of the sternum. Then it rises obliquely, then back and up, and at the level of the clavicle joint it divides into two arteries. It is located in front of the trachea, which is covered by the thymus in children, and has a short length of three to four centimeters.

In infants, it often divides cephalade into sternoclavicular articulation in the anterior triangle of the neck.

The trunk of a man

In humans, this organ has the structure described above. It is usually a short and thick vessel that branches into two right arteries, which are covered with pleura on both sides - right and front. There is no artery in the left part of the body . Otherwise, this vessel is called a brachycephalic trunk (from the Latin name) or an unnamed artery.

A person with a barrel brachiocephalic may be associated with some diseases. Among them are the following:

• Atherosclerosis (accumulation of cholesterol and fat on the internal walls of the arteries);
• Congenital malformations;
• Hemangioma (a benign tumor that develops from small blood vessels);
• Arterial trauma;
• Aneurysms (enlarging the lumen two or more times);
• Obliterating the defeat of the branches of the arc (violation of the patency of the vessels, which leads to cerebral ischemia and limbs (upper)).

If there are problems with this vessel, you should contact an angiosurgeon.

Animal trunk

The anatomy of the brachiocephalic trunk is the following. From the human, it differs in that it is directed to the entrance to the thoracic cavity and is already divided into two left arteries (right-handed people). This occurs at the level of the second thoracic vertebra.

In some animals, for example, in a dog and a pig, there is no trichus brachiocephalic, instead of it - two left arteries that come out of the arch of the aorta. From one of the arteries, which is called the brachiocephalic, the carotid arteries that carry blood to the head of the animals depart. An exception is a horse, in which a few more small arteries leave it.

The trunk of the brachiocephalic region provides blood to the head, neck, thoracic limbs, part of the chest wall.

In some cases, from the trunk to the lower part of the thyroid gland is the lower thyroid artery. Thanks to the trunk, the lack or absence of one of the vessels of the thyroid gland can be compensated.

Offshoots of the trunk

In the order of vascular withdrawal from the subclavian arteries, there are species specific differences. The following branches leave the arteries:

• The rib-neck barrel supplies blood to the muscles of the neck and withers. Leaves together with such arteries as deep cervical and vertebral (in ruminants and pigs), or only the first of them (in carnivores). In horses, this trunk is an independent branch.
• The deep cervical artery supplies the "extensor" of the head and neck. It diverges in the neck muscles, its direction is cranial. On the neck, like the vertebral branch, forms the second collateral. In a pig and a dog, this artery is a branch of the rib-cervical trunk.
• The vertebral artery is the paired. It is also sent cranially. Going to the atlas, it releases the branches into the muscles and spinal cord, leaves through the hole in the first cervical vertebra (atlant) of animals and forms large blood flow paths (called collateral) on the neck. The cattle go along with the above-mentioned branches. And carnivorous is the first blood vessel that departs from the subclavian artery.
• The brachial artery (otherwise called the superficial cervical artery) provides blood to the muscles of the neck, the dentition, and also the entrance to the thorax. At the pig, the thyroid trunk leaves from it.
• Internal and external maternal arteries. The inner is directed caudally over the surface of the sternum, reaches the seventh rib and branches. Its terminal vessel is represented by the muscular-diaphragm artery. Then it goes down and supplies blood to the muscles of the abdominal cavity, pigs and carnivores also have the mammary gland. The external artery bypasses the first rib and branched deep into the pectoral muscle. This artery is developed rather poorly.

Further, the brachiocephalic trunk of animals, which continues with the left arteries, becomes axillary arteries. They are also the main source of blood supply to the thoracic extremities.