Intercostal arteries
arteries supplying the space between the ribs
The intercostal arteries are a group of arteries passing within an intercostal space (the space between two adjacent ribs). There are 9 anterior and 11 posterior intercostal arteries on each side of the body. The anterior intercostal arteries are branches of the internal thoracic artery and its terminal branch – the musculophrenic artery. The posterior intercostal arteries are branches of the supreme intercostal artery and thoracic aorta.
Each anterior intercostal artery anastomoses with the corresponding posterior intercostal artery arising from the thoracic aorta.
Anterior intercostal arteries
Origin
The upper six anterior intercostal arteries are branches of the internal thoracic artery (anterior intercostal branches of internal thoracic artery). The internal thoracic artery then divides into its two terminal branches, one of which - the musculophrenic artery - proceeds to issue anterior intercostal arteries to the remaining 7th, 8th, and 9th intercostal spaces; these diminish in size as the spaces decrease in length.
Course and relations
They are at first situated between the pleurae and the intercostales interni, and then between the mm. intercostales interni et intimi.
Distribution
They supply the intercostal muscles and, by branches which perforate the intercostales externi, the pectoral muscles and the mamma.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Intercostal arteries” as arteries supplying the space between the ribs. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as arteries supplying the space between the ribs. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 2, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q3507868. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Intercostal arteries”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Intercostal arteries primary sources, Intercostal arteries archive and Intercostal research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Intercostal arteries”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Intercostal arteries” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.