The Axilla

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The
anatomical snuff-box | Main Anatomy
Index | The brachial plexus
Last updated 30 March 2006
The Axilla
- The axilla (armpit) is a roughly pyramidal-shaped
space at the junction of the arm and thorax.
- It provides a passageway for the large, important nerves
and vessels to reach the upper limb.
- The axilla has an apex, a base and four walls.
The Apex
of the Axilla (p. 510)
- The apex is directed toward the root
of the neck and is located at the medial
side of the roof of the coracoid process of
the scapula.
- It is formed by the convergence of the bones in its three
major walls: the clavicle
(anterior wall), the scapula
(posterior wall) and the first
rib (medial wall).
- The interval between these 3 bones is the entrance to the axilla through
which all nerves and vessels pass to the upper limb.
The Base
of the Axilla (p. 511)
- The base, facing inferiorly, is formed by the fascia and
skin of the concave axilla.
The
Anterior Wall of the Axilla (p. 511)
The
Posterior Wall of the Axilla (p. 511)
- The tendon of the latissimus
dorsi muscle wraps around the lateral part of the
teres major and forms part of the posterior wall.
The
Medial Wall of the Axilla (p. 511)
The
Lateral Wall of the Axilla (p. 511)
- This narrow wall is formed by the intertubercular
groove in the humerus.
Contents
of the Axilla (p. 512)
- The axilla contains large nerves that are the branches of
the brachial plexus.
- These nerves pass from the neck to the upper limb.
- The axilla also contains the axillary
vessels (artery and branches, vein and
tributaries, and lymph vessels).
- There are also several groups of axillary
lymph nodes.
