thoracic artery
noun
: either of two arteries that branch from the axillary artery or from one of its branches:
a
: a small artery that usually arises from the axillary artery below the clavicle and that supplies or sends branches to the two pectoralis muscles and the walls of the chest
called also supreme thoracic artery
b
: an artery that often arises from the thoracoacromial artery or from the subscapular artery rather than the axillary artery and that supplies both pectoralis muscles and the serratus anterior and sends branches to the lymph nodes of the axilla and to the subscapularis muscle
called also lateral thoracic artery
compare internal mammary arteryDictionary Entries Near thoracic artery
Cite this Entry
“Thoracic artery.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/thoracic%20artery. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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