The medial collateral artery, also known as the middle collateral artery, is located in the elbow. It branches off the deep brachial artery, near the upper elbow, and feeds into the interosseous recurrent artery near the lower elbow. The middle collateral artery supplies blood to a portion of the elbow called the lateral arm flap. It also supplies oxygen rich blood to the muscles in the elbow. Some people are born without certain arm arteries, including the middle collateral artery, profunda brachii artery, and radial collateral artery, but the remaining arteries in the elbow area are all normal in these patients. Despite the lack of these arteries, there isn't any serious health consequence as other arteries in the area supply blood to these areas; however, absence of the middle collateral artery does affect patients who must have surgery on the elbow, as there isn't a suitable course of blood flow to the lateral arm flap without the middle collateral artery. This is because the other artery that supplies the lateral arm flap must be cauterized during the procedure.