Quick Facts
Origin: Internal thoracic artery.
Course: Inferolaterally behind the seventh to ninth costal cartilages.
Branches: Lower anterior intercostal branches.
Supplied Structures: Intercostal muscles, diaphragm, pericardium, and abdominal muscles.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The musculophrenic artery is one of the two terminal branches of the internal thoracic artery, the other being the superior epigastric artery.
Course
The musculophrenic artery originates at the level of the sixth intercostal space. It passes inferolaterally, behind the seventh, eighth, and ninth costal cartilages, traverses the diaphragm to end near the last intercostal space.
Branches
As the musculophrenic artery it passes the seventh, eighth and ninth intercostal spaces, it gives off arterial branches corresponding to the anterior intercostal arteries of the upper intercostal spaces.
Supplied Structures
The musculophrenic artery supplies the muscles of the intercostal space, abdominal wall, diaphragm, and lower part of the pericardium.
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Artery
Arteries are vessels transporting blood between heart, tissues, and other organs in order to supply them with nutrition and oxygen.
