Smaller vessels of the chest

What it does

Arteries running between the ribs and down either side of the breastbone supply the chest wall and breast, and veins drain them to the azygos system and the veins near the heart. The internal thoracic artery is often used in heart bypass surgery.

Nearby

• The aorta
• The azygos vein
• The rib muscles

Read more

• Other vessels of the thorax — Wikipedia