title: Posterior humeral circumflex artery
text: # Posterior humeral circumflex artery
  
  The posterior humeral circumflex artery (posterior circumflex artery, or posterior circumflex humeral artery) arises from the third part of the axillary artery at the distal border of the subscapularis.
  
  ## Anatomy
  
  ### Course and relations
  
  It passes posteriorward with the axillary nerve through the quadrangular space. It winds laterally around the surgical neck of the humerus.
  
  ### Distribution
  
  It is distributed to the shoulder joint, teres major, teres minor, deltoid, and (long and lateral heads of) triceps brachii.
  
  ### Anastomoses
  
  It forms anastomoses with the anterior humeral circumflex artery, (deltoid branch of) profunda brachii artery, (acromial branches of) suprascapular artery, (acromial branches of) and thoracoacromial artery.
  
  ## Additional images
  
  * Suprascapular and axillary nerves of right side, seen from behind.
  * Posterior humeral circumflex artery
  