No abstract available.
Brachial Artery

No abstract available.
Brachial Artery* ; Female* ; Humans

An injury to the brachial artery from humeral shaft fracture is uncommon but requires immediate surgery to restore the blood flow. We report a case of endovascular stenting to repair a brachial artery occlusion caused by humeral shaft fracture in a 53 year old male with a review of the relevant literature.
Brachial Artery ; Humans ; Male ; Stents

No abstract available.
Aneurysm, False ; Brachial Plexus Neuropathies ; Vertebral Artery ; Vertebral Artery Dissection

We observed a case of superficial brachial artery in the left arm of a Korean male cadaver. It was compared with the previously reported ones, and its characteristics were summarized as follows. 1. The superficial brachial artery, which arose from the axillary artery at the superior border of the teres major muscle, passed in front of the medial root of the median nerve and subsequently became to lie on the medial side of the median nerve. This artery crossed the median nerve anteriorly in the middle of the upper arm, then lay lateral to the median nerve in the lower part of the upper arm to the cubital fossa. 2. After giving off the deep brachial artery, several muscular branches and inferior ulnar collateral artery, the superficial brachial artery terminated in the cubital fossa by dividing into its two terminal branches, the radial and ulnar arteries. The superior ulnar collateral artery arose from the deep brachial artery, and the common interosseous artery from the ulnar artery. The course and distribution of the ulnar and radial arteries were normal. 3. It has been reported that a deeper artery, which takes the normal course of the brachial artery and continues as the common interosseous artery, usually coexists with the superficial brachial artery, even if the superficial brachial artery gives off both radial and ulnar arteries in the cubital fossa. But in our case, there was no deeper artery which passes deep to the median nerve. 4. It was presumed that this type of variation is produced by an unusual development of the superficial brachial artery that has been formed during early development as the main artery at the cost of complete degeneration of the normal brachial artery.
Arm ; Arteries ; Axillary Artery ; Brachial Artery* ; Cadaver ; Humans ; Male ; Median Nerve ; Radial Artery ; Ulnar Artery

BACKGROUND: The authors sought to determine whether a shallow needle approach to the axillary artery would improve complete sensory blocks of median, radial, and ulnar nerves as compared with a perpendicular approach when transarterial axillary block is performed using a scalp vein needle (23G, 3/4'). METHODS: Fifty-four patients were allocated equally to a perpendicular group (the PA group) or a shallow approach group (SA group). Sensory and motor scores were evaluated and compared in the two groups at 5-minute intervals for 20 minutes after block. The main outcome variables were rates of blockage of median, radial, and ulnar nerves. RESULTS: Excellent block rates (defined as completion of surgery using brachial plexus block alone) were obtained in both groups (SA group 77.8% vs. PA group 70.3%, P = 0.755). However, the rate of blockage of all three nerves was significantly higher in the SA group (74% vs. 40.7%, P = 0.013). Furthermore, the rate of complete sensory block of the radial nerve at 20 minutes was significantly greater in the SA group (85.2% vs. 59.3%, P = 0.033). CONCLUSIONS: A shallow needle approach to the axillary artery resulted in a significantly higher median, radial, and ulnar nerve block rate at 20 minutes after LA injection than a perpendicular approach.
Axillary Artery* ; Brachial Plexus Block* ; Brachial Plexus* ; Humans ; Needles* ; Radial Nerve ; Scalp ; Ulnar Nerve ; Veins

BACKGROUND: The authors sought to determine whether a shallow needle approach to the axillary artery would improve complete sensory blocks of median, radial, and ulnar nerves as compared with a perpendicular approach when transarterial axillary block is performed using a scalp vein needle (23G, 3/4'). METHODS: Fifty-four patients were allocated equally to a perpendicular group (the PA group) or a shallow approach group (SA group). Sensory and motor scores were evaluated and compared in the two groups at 5-minute intervals for 20 minutes after block. The main outcome variables were rates of blockage of median, radial, and ulnar nerves. RESULTS: Excellent block rates (defined as completion of surgery using brachial plexus block alone) were obtained in both groups (SA group 77.8% vs. PA group 70.3%, P = 0.755). However, the rate of blockage of all three nerves was significantly higher in the SA group (74% vs. 40.7%, P = 0.013). Furthermore, the rate of complete sensory block of the radial nerve at 20 minutes was significantly greater in the SA group (85.2% vs. 59.3%, P = 0.033). CONCLUSIONS: A shallow needle approach to the axillary artery resulted in a significantly higher median, radial, and ulnar nerve block rate at 20 minutes after LA injection than a perpendicular approach.
Axillary Artery* ; Brachial Plexus Block* ; Brachial Plexus* ; Humans ; Needles* ; Radial Nerve ; Scalp ; Ulnar Nerve ; Veins

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: alpha-Lipoic acid (ALA) is known to improve endothelial function in patients with diabetes. However, the effect of ALA on endothelial function in hypertensive patients is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ALA improves endothelial function in diabetic and hypertensive patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study included 40 patients who were treated with ALA (Group I: 20 diabetic patients, 54.9+/-10.2 years, Group II: 20 hypertensive patients, 56.5+/-9.0 years). ALA was administered in 600 mg/day doses during the first four weeks, and 1,200 mg/day doses during the second four weeks. Clinical characteristics and endothelial function were assessed at baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after ALA administration. Evaluation of patients included: assessment of the brachial artery for flow mediated vasodilation (FMD) and the inflammatory marker (high sensitive CRP: hsCRP). RESULTS: Clinical characteristics (body mass index, total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol and hsCRP) were unchanged in each group. However, FMD was significantly improved at 8 weeks after ALA therapy in both groups. Group I-baseline: 4 weeks : 8 weeks = 4.1+/-3.3 : 6.5+/-2.2 : 8.0+/-2.7, Group II-baseline: 4 weeks : 8 weeks = 5.5+/-3.7 : 7.4+/-3.3 : 9.3+/-2.7, p<0.05. The level of fibrinogen was observed to have an inverse correlation with FMD at 8 weeks after ALA therapy in Group I (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: ALA improves endothelial function in both diabetic and hypertensive patients.
Brachial Artery ; Fibrinogen ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Thioctic Acid ; Vasodilation

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: alpha-Lipoic acid (ALA) is known to improve endothelial function in patients with diabetes. However, the effect of ALA on endothelial function in hypertensive patients is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ALA improves endothelial function in diabetic and hypertensive patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study included 40 patients who were treated with ALA (Group I: 20 diabetic patients, 54.9+/-10.2 years, Group II: 20 hypertensive patients, 56.5+/-9.0 years). ALA was administered in 600 mg/day doses during the first four weeks, and 1,200 mg/day doses during the second four weeks. Clinical characteristics and endothelial function were assessed at baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after ALA administration. Evaluation of patients included: assessment of the brachial artery for flow mediated vasodilation (FMD) and the inflammatory marker (high sensitive CRP: hsCRP). RESULTS: Clinical characteristics (body mass index, total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol and hsCRP) were unchanged in each group. However, FMD was significantly improved at 8 weeks after ALA therapy in both groups. Group I-baseline: 4 weeks : 8 weeks = 4.1+/-3.3 : 6.5+/-2.2 : 8.0+/-2.7, Group II-baseline: 4 weeks : 8 weeks = 5.5+/-3.7 : 7.4+/-3.3 : 9.3+/-2.7, p<0.05. The level of fibrinogen was observed to have an inverse correlation with FMD at 8 weeks after ALA therapy in Group I (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: ALA improves endothelial function in both diabetic and hypertensive patients.
Brachial Artery ; Fibrinogen ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Thioctic Acid ; Vasodilation

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Flow-mediated brachial artery vasoactivity has been proposed as a noninvasive means for assessing endothelial function. The present study is designed to assess the influence of aging on endothelial function and when vasoactivity developed initially, peaked. MATERIALS AND METHOD: We measured brachial artery diameter for 60 seconds continuously using 7.5 MHz ultrasound following 5 minutes of lower arm occlusion in 22 normal volun-teers (young group: 10 volunteers, 26.5+/-1.9 years; old group: 12 volunteers, 55.9+/-3.3 years). After sublingual administration of 0.6 mg nitroglycerine, 240 seconds continuously. And then we measure vasoactivity every 3 seconds. RESULTS: Flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) was started earlier in young group (24.3+/-2.8 sec; old group 28.8+/-3.6 sec, p=0.017). After release of occlusion, peak vasoacitivity time was at 35.5+/-4.7 seconds and peak vasoactivity was 8.4+/-1.7% in young group (old group 6.9+/-1.5%, p=0.099). Endothelial independent vasodilation (EID) was started at 80.7+/-13.3 seconds after sublingual nitroglycerine in young group (vs 80.0+/-19.0 sec), peaked at 177.5+/-16.9 seconds (vs 171.3+/-13.8 sec). Peak vasoactivity was higher in young group (19.1+/-3.1%; old group 15.9+/-2.5%, p=0.033). CONCLUSION: We conclude that 1) Aging has influence on endothelial function about initiating time of vasoactivity as well as peak vaso- activity. 2) FMD can be measured around 50 seconds after release of brachial artery occlusion and EID at 180 seconds after application of sublingual nitroglycerine. 3) The initiating time of vasoactivity (under 30 seconds) can be used for evaluation of endothelial function.
Administration, Sublingual ; Aging* ; Arm ; Brachial Artery ; Nitroglycerin ; Ultrasonography* ; Vasodilation ; Volunteers