Suprascapular artery

At a glance

English

Suprascapular artery

Latin (TA2)

Arteria suprascapularis

System

Artery

Region

Trunk

Side

Paired, left and right

About the suprascapular artery

The suprascapular artery usually comes from the thyrocervical trunk, itself a branch of the first part of the subclavian artery. It runs a long, lateral course across the lower neck to reach the dorsal surface of the scapula, where it becomes the main vessel of the two rotator cuff muscles that lie there.

In the neck it passes down and outwards, lying in front of scalenus anterior and the phrenic nerve and under cover of sternocleidomastoid. It then crosses in front of the third part of the subclavian artery and the trunks of the brachial plexus, and travels behind the clavicle and subclavius, parallel to them, below the inferior belly of omohyoid. In this way it reaches the upper border of the scapula. In most people it passes above the superior transverse scapular ligament, while the suprascapular nerve passes beneath it through the notch; in a minority the artery also goes under the ligament.

Once in the supraspinous fossa it keeps close to the bone beneath supraspinatus, which it supplies. It then turns round the lateral border of the spine of the scapula through the spinoglenoid (greater scapular) notch, under the inferior transverse scapular ligament, into the infraspinous fossa. There it supplies infraspinatus and joins the circumflex scapular artery and the dorsal scapular artery, contributing to the scapular anastomosis around the shoulder blade.

Along the way it gives a number of smaller branches. It helps supply sternocleidomastoid and subclavius, though both draw most of their blood from other arteries. A suprasternal branch passes over the medial end of the clavicle to reach the skin high on the chest. An acromial branch pierces trapezius to the skin over the acromion, meeting the thoracoacromial artery. Where it crosses the ligament it sends a twig into the subscapular fossa beneath subscapularis. It also gives articular branches to the acromioclavicular and shoulder joints and a small nutrient vessel that enters the clavicle. Its route over the notch is relevant when the suprascapular nerve is decompressed there.

Course and supply

Arises from

The thyrocervical trunk, from the first part of the subclavian artery; occasionally directly from the subclavian.

Ends in

Ends in the infraspinous fossa, anastomosing with the circumflex scapular and dorsal scapular arteries in the scapular anastomosis.

Supplies

Supplies supraspinatus and infraspinatus, contributes to sternocleidomastoid, subclavius and subscapularis, and sends branches to the skin over the acromion and high on the chest, the acromioclavicular and shoulder joints and the clavicle.