The anterior humeral circumflex artery (anterior circumflex artery, anterior circumflex humeral artery), considerably smaller than the posterior, arises nearly opposite it, from the lateral side of the axillary artery

Axillary artery

In human anatomy, the axillary artery is a large blood vessel that conveys oxygenated blood to the lateral aspect of the thorax, the axilla and the upper limb...

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It runs horizontally, beneath the Coracobrachialis and short head of the Biceps brachii

Biceps brachii muscle

In human anatomy, the biceps brachii, or simply biceps in common parlance, is, as the name implies, a two-headed muscle located on the upper arm. Both heads arise on the scapula and join to form a single muscle belly which is attached to the upper forearm...

, in front of the neck of the humerus

Humerus

The humerus is a long bone in the arm or forelimb that runs from the shoulder to the elbow....

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On reaching the intertubercular sulcus, it gives off a branch which ascends in the sulcus to supply the head of the humerus and the shoulder-joint.

The trunk of the vessel is then continued onward beneath the long head of the Biceps brachii and the Deltoideus, and anastomoses with the posterior humeral circumflex artery

Posterior humeral circumflex artery

The posterior humeral circumflex artery arises from the axillary artery at the lower border of the subscapularis, and runs posteriorally with the axillary nerve through the quadrangular space.It winds around the neck of the humerus and is distributed to the Deltoid muscle and shoulder-joint,...

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See also

• Posterior humeral circumflex artery
  Posterior humeral circumflex artery
  The posterior humeral circumflex artery arises from the axillary artery at the lower border of the subscapularis, and runs posteriorally with the axillary nerve through the quadrangular space.It winds around the neck of the humerus and is distributed to the Deltoid muscle and shoulder-joint,...