Superior thoracic artery

The superior thoracic artery (highest thoracic artery) is a small vessel, which may arise from the thoracoacromial.

Running forward and medialward along the upper border of the Pectoralis minor, it passes between it and the Pectoralis major to the side of the chest.

It supplies branches to these muscles, and to the parietes of the thorax, and anastomoses with the internal mammary and intercostal arteries.

Superior thoracic artery is the first division of the axillary artery. Axillary artery can be divided into three sections based on its location relative to the pectoralis minor muscle.