circumflex humeral artery
- noun
- /ˈsɜrkəmˌflɛks ˈhjuːmərəl ˈɑːrtəri/
- Specialized
- The surgeon carefully isolated the circumflex humeral artery before proceeding with the shoulder operation.
Examples
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The circumflex humeral artery branches from the axillary artery and wraps around the humerus.
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Damage to the circumflex humeral artery can lead to poor blood supply to the shoulder joint.
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The circumflex humeral artery supplies blood to the shoulder joint.
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Surgeons need to be aware of the circumflex humeral artery during procedures.
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The surgeon carefully examined the circumflex humeral artery to ensure proper blood flow to the shoulder joint.
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Injuries to the circumflex humeral artery can impair movement and strength in the arm.
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Understanding the anatomy of the circumflex humeral artery is crucial for performing shoulder surgeries.
Synonyms
A blood vessel that brings blood to the shoulder joint and nearby muscles
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is compositionally analyzable: 'humeral' (relating to the humerus) + 'artery' (blood vessel) and 'circumflex' (literally 'bending/curving around') together point to an artery that curves around the humeral/shoulder region. However, 'circumflex' is a low-frequency, Latin-derived medical descriptor and the whole phrase is specialist anatomical terminology, so the meaning is only partially predictable to an average learner even if they recognize the individual parts.
Etymology
Circumflex humeral artery comes from its parts: circumflex meaning 'around', humeral meaning 'upper arm bone', and artery meaning 'blood vessel'. So it is a blood vessel that bends around the bone to supply the shoulder.