Vascular and Lymphatic System

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Arterial system:

Carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart to supply tissues in the body

Venous system:

Returns oxygen-depleted blood back to the heart

Lymphatic system:

Helps remove waste, fight infection, and return excess fluid to the bloodstream
Lymph fluid is a clear fluid that comes from the blood plasma
- It comes out of small blood vessels and goes into surrounding tissues
Lymphatic capillaries absorb the lymphatic fluid, along with cell waste products, bacteria, viruses, and other unwanted materials in the area
This is then transported to larger lymph vessels that help move the fluid toward the heart (with the use of one-way valves to prevent back flow)
Lymph nodes filter this fluid and filter out the harmful materials like bacteria and viruses
- The axillary lymph nodes at each armpit are the main lymph nodes that filter lymph in the upper extremity
Eventually, the filtered fluid is returned to the bloodstream
- The fluid from the upper extremity goes into the bloodstream at the subclavian vein

Main arteries of the upper extremity

The main arteries of the upper extremity are essentially one continuous artery that changes names as it travels down the arms and passes anatomical landmarks
Subclavian artery becomes the axillary artery after passing the first rib
Axillary artery becomes the brachial artery after passing the teres major muscle
Brachial artery splits into the radial and ulnar arteries after passing the cubital fossa

Arteries of the scapular region

The arteries at the scapula supply blood to the muscles in the area
The arteries connect with each other, creating a system called an anastomosis, which keeps blood flowing in the area if an artery were to become blocked or narrowed

Arteries of the hand

The hand receives blood from two main arteries in the radial and ulnar arteries
These two arteries form arches in the palm in the superficial palmar arch and the deep palmar arch
From these arches, smaller branches go to each each finger to supply blood

Veins of the upper extremity

The main superficial veins are:
- Cephalic vein, which runs along the lateral side of the arm
- Basilic vein, which runs along the medial side of the arm
- Median cubital vein, which connects the cephalic and basic veins at the elbow
  - This is the vein that is commonly used when blood is drawn
- The main deep veins are:
  - Radial and ulnar veins, which follow the radial and ulnar arteries in the forearm
  - Brachial veins, which run alongside the brachial artery in the upper arm
  - Axillay vein, which the basilic and brachial veins form into near the armpit

Veins of the hand

The dorsal venous network collects blood from the fingers and hand and it then drains into the cephalic and basilic veins

Lymphatic system of the upper extremity

The cubital lymph nodes filter lymph from the forearm and hand, especially on the medial side
The axillary lymph nodes are the main filtering site for the upper extremity

Quiz Questions

1. What are the main functions of the lymphatic system?

a. Supply oxygen to tissues and remove carbon dioxide

b. Provide nutrients to the blood and store fat

c. Remove waste, fight infection, and return excess fluid to the bloodstream

d. Maintain bone health and blood sugar levels

2. Where does lymph fluid originate from?

a. Cerebrospinal fluid

b. Digestive enzymes

c. Synovial fluid

d. Blood plasma

3. Which lymph nodes are the main filtering site for the upper extremity?

a. Ulnar lymph nodes

b. Brachial lymph nodes

c. Radial lymph nodes

d. Axillary lymph nodes

4. At what anatomical landmark does the subclavian artery become the axillary artery?

a. Elbow

b. Clavicle

c. First rib

d. Teres major muscle

5. Where does the brachial artery split into the radial and ulnar arteries?

a. At the shoulder

b. At the cubital fossa

c. At the wrist

d. In the palm

6. What is an arterial anastomosis?

a. A blockage in an artery

b. A connection between arteries to maintain blood flow

c. A branch of a vein into an artery

d. A muscle supplied by multiple veins

7. What are the main superficial veins of the upper extremity?

a. Subclavian and brachial veins

b. Cephalic, basilic, and median cubital veins

c. Radial and ulnar veins

d. Axillary and jugular veins

Quiz Answers

References

Images from: Atlas of Anatomy 4th Edition, Gilroy et al., 2020, Thieme Medical Publishers

Information based on lecture content from professor Dr. Earl Mayhew, DPT, BIO 634 - Human Anatomy course, University of Michigan-Flint, Fall 2022

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