<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Anatomical terminology (edit on Wikidata) </Td> </Tr> <P> In human anatomy, the subclavian arteries are paired major arteries of the upper thorax, below the clavicle . They receive blood from the aortic arch . The left subclavian artery supplies blood to the left arm and the right subclavian artery supplies blood to the right arm, with some branches supplying the head and thorax . On the left side of the body, the subclavian comes directly off the aortic arch, while on the right side it arises from the relatively short brachiocephalic artery when it bifurcates into the subclavian and the right common carotid artery . </P> <P> The usual branches of the subclavian on both sides of the body are the vertebral artery, the internal thoracic artery, the thyrocervical trunk, the costocervical trunk and the dorsal scapular artery, which may branch off the transverse cervical artery which is a branch of the thyrocervical trunk . The subclavian becomes the axillary artery at the lateral border of the first rib . </P> <P> From its origin, the subclavian artery travels laterally, passing between anterior and middle scalene muscles, with the anterior scalene (scalenus anterior) on its anterior side and the middle scalene (scalenus medius) on its posterior . This is in contrast to the subclavian vein, which travels anterior to the scalenus anterior . As the subclavian artery crosses the lateral border of the first rib, it becomes the axillary artery . </P>

Where does the subclavian artery become the axillary