• Xavier Sala-Blanch, Miguel Angel Reina, Pawinee Pangthipampai, and Manoj Kumar Karmakar.
• From the *Department of Anesthesiology, Hospital Clinic Barcelona; †Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona; ‡Department of Anesthesiology, Madrid-Montepríncipe University Hospital; §School of Medicine, CEU San Pablo University, Madrid, Spain; and ∥Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
• Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2016 May 1; 41 (3): 387-91.

Background And ObjectivesThe costoclavicular space (CCS), which is located deep and posterior to the midpoint of the clavicle, may be a better site for infraclavicular brachial plexus block than the traditional lateral paracoracoid site. However, currently, there is paucity of data on the anatomy of the brachial plexus at the CCS. We undertook this cadaver anatomic study to define the anatomy of the cords of the brachial plexus at the CCS and thereby establish the anatomic basis for ultrasound-guided infraclavicular brachial plexus block at this proximal site.MethodsThe anatomy and topography of the cords of the brachial plexus at the CCS was evaluated in 8 unembalmed (cryopreserved), thawed, fresh adult human cadavers using anatomic dissection, and transverse anatomic and histological sections, of the CCS.ResultsThe cords of the brachial plexus were located lateral and parallel to the axillary artery at the CCS. The topography of the cords, relative to the axillary artery and to one another, in the transverse (axial) plane was also consistent at the CCS. The lateral cord was the most superficial of the 3 cords and it was always anterior to both the medial and posterior cords. The medial cord was directly posterior to the lateral cord but medial to the posterior cord. The posterior cord was the lateral most of the 3 cords at the CCS and it was immediately lateral to the medial cord but posterolateral to the lateral cord.ConclusionsThe cords of the brachial plexus are clustered together lateral to the axillary artery, and share a consistent relation relative to one another and to the axillary artery, at the CCS.

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