innominate veins

The wide vessels that collect blood from the head and neck and the upper limbs. There are two innominate veins: a right and a left. Each of them begins behind the clavicle, near its medial end, by the union of the internal jugular vein and the subclavian vein; and they end behind the lower border of the first right costal cartilage by uniting with each other to form the superior vena cava.

Course and relations of the innominate veins

The right innominate vein is short and its course is almost vertical; it is accompanied on its medial side by the innominate artery. The left innominate vein is much longer than the right. In the thorax, it passes obliquely to the right and downward, behind the upper half of the manubrium sterni, and in front of the left common carotid and innominate arteries.

Tributaries of the innominate veins

Each vein receives vertebral, internal mammary, first posterior intercostal, and inferior thyroid tributaries. In addition, the right vein receives lymph-trunks from the right upper limb and right half of the head and neck and thorax which may unite in various ways to form a right lymphatic duct; and the left innominate vein receives the left superior intercostal vein, some mediastinal veins, and the thoracic duct and the left mediastinal lymph-trunk.

Related category

• ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

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