Multiple bilateral variations in the course and branching pattern of the brachial arteries were recorded in a 70-year-old male cadaver during the routine dissection carried in the practical sessions of the medical students of Hashemite University in Jordan.
The right main brachial artery divided in the upper third of arm into the medial and lateral brachial branches. The medial brachial artery descended as the usual brachial artery with the median nerve crossing anteriorly from the medial to lateral side. In the cubital fossa, under the bicipital aponeurosis, it ended by dividing into the superficial ulnar and radial arteries. The lateral brachial artery descended posterolateral to the median nerve and continued in the cubital fossa as the common interosseous artery where it divided into the anterior and posterior interosseous arteries deep to pronator teres.
The left brachial artery was smaller in size, and bifurcated high in the arm into the superficial radial and ulnar arteries. Unexpectedly, the left radial artery in the cubital fossa, gave origin to the common interosseous artery, which descended deep to pronator teres where it divided into the anterior and posterior interosseous arteries. These variations are thoroughly discussed and compared with previously published findings, and their clinical significances are highlighted.
