Peripheral artery disease peripheral artery disease: If peripheral artery disease is suspected, the initial study is the ankle–brachial index (ABI). The ABI is a simple, non-invasive test, which measures the ratio of systolic blood pressure in the ankle to the systolic blood pressure in the upper arm. This is based on the idea that if blood pressure readings in the ankle are lower than those in the arm, a blockage in the arteries that provide blood from the heart to the ankle is suspected. An ABI range of 0.90 to 1.40 is considered normal. A person is considered to have PAD when the
Perforating branches of internal thoracic artery Perforating branches of internal thoracic artery The perforating branches of the internal thoracic artery pierce through the internal intercostal muscles of the superior six intercostal spaces. These small arteries run with the anterior cutaneous branches of the intercostal nerves. The perforating arteries constitute part of the blood supply to the pectoralis major and the overlying tissue and skin. The second, third and fourth perforating branches give off medial mammary branches, which become enlarged during lactation. Chung, Kyung Wong, Ph.D. "Board Review Series: Gross Anatomy, 3rd ed. 114-115. Williams and Wilkins: 1995." Lockhart, R.D., et al. "Anatomy of the Human Body."