Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Anterior intercostal branches
Introduction
The Anterior intercostal branches of internal thoracic artery supply the upper five or six intercostal spaces.
Two in number in each space, these small vessels pass lateralward, one lying near the lower margin of the rib above, and the other near the upper margin of the rib below, and anastomose with the intercostal arteries from the aorta.
They are at first situated between the pleura and the Intercostales interni, and then between the Intercostales interni and externi.
They supply the intercostal muscles and, by branches which perforate the Intercostales externi, the Pectoral muscles and the mamma.
External links
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]