The median nerve lies close to the brachial artery in the antecubital fossa. This is the usual site of surgical access to the brachial artery for an embolectomy procedure. The median nerve may be damaged during clumsy application of vascular clamps to the artery.
Brachial artery
The brachial artery begins at the lower border of teres major as a continuation of the axillary artery. It terminates in the cubital fossa at the level of the neck of the radius by dividing into the radial and ulnar arteries.
Relations
Posterior relations include the long head of triceps with the radial nerve and profunda vessels intervening. Anteriorly it is overlapped by the medial border of biceps.
It is crossed by the median nerve in the middle of the arm.
In the cubital fossa it is separated from the median cubital vein by the bicipital aponeurosis.
The basilic vein is in contact at the most proximal aspect of the cubital fossa and lies medially.
