Vessel · Neck

Subclavian artery

Arteria subclavia

The subclavian artery is the main artery supplying the arm, and it is asymmetrical: on the left it springs directly from the arch of the aorta, while on the right it comes off the brachiocephalic trunk, which is itself a branch of the arch. From there it arches over the first rib, passing between the anterior and middle scalene muscles alongside the brachial plexus, then behind the collarbone. That shared, narrow corridor is why compression at the thoracic outlet can affect nerve and artery together.