Introduction: Abnormal origins and unusual branching patterns in the brachial artery (BA) can cause complications during diagnostic, medical, and surgical interventions. Arterial and nerve injuries have been reported during normal procedures such as catheterization due to variations in the formation, branches and bifurcation of the BA. This study, therefore, aims to evaluate the unusual formation, branching, and termination of this artery. Methodology: This was a prospective cross-sectional cadaveric study that used 110 cadavers of the native African population. The upper limbs (ULs) were dissected; the formation, branching, and termination of the BA were observed and recorded. Descriptive statistics was used to determine the frequencies and percentiles of variations, while a Chi-square test was applied to determine any significant differences in laterality ( P < 0.05). Correlation between the variations and demographics was also determined. Results: In this study, 10% of the total ULs studied had varying anatomical variations of the BA; of these, 21.8% of male ULs had unusual branching and bifurcation of the BA. For females, 12.7% were recorded to have atypical origin and branching patterns. Regarding laterality, 67% of all aberrant variations were observed on the right side, while 33% occurred on the left. Conclusion: The variations in the branching and bifurcation of BA are more common in the right arm and in men as compared to women in the native African population.
Domnic Marera (Thu,) studied this question.