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A superficial ulnar artery anastomosing with a larger anterior interosseous artery to supply the wrist and hand
Author(s) -
SAÑUDO J. R.,
MIRAPEIX R. M.,
GARCIA R.,
RODRIGUEZNIDENFÜNR M.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of anatomy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.932
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1469-7580
pISSN - 0021-8782
DOI - 10.1046/j.1469-7580.1998.19230439.x
Subject(s) - ulnar artery , forearm , anatomy , medicine , wrist , axillary artery , anastomosis , brachial artery , upper limb , artery , ulnar nerve , surgery , radial artery , elbow , radiology , blood pressure
The term superficial ulnar artery (SUA) is applied to an artery which arises from the axillary, brachial or superficial brachial arteries and courses over the origins of the superficial forearm muscles to join at the midlevel of the forearm with the ulnar artery, sometimes replacing it (Wankoff, 1962; Lippert & Pabst, 1985; Nakatani et al. 1996, 1997). Its incidence ranges from 0.7% (Adachi, 1928) to 3.3% (Müller, 1903). The SUA has been reported with different terminologies; arteria antebrachialis superficialis ulnaris (Gruber, 1867; Müller, 1903; Adachi, 1928), high origin of the ulnar artery (Rodriguez‐Baeza et al. 1995; Aharinejad et al. 1997) and SUA with a high origin (Fuss, 1988). The present observation adds several aspects to the anatomical variations of the superficial ulnar arteries already described, most notably its anastomosis with the anterior interosseous artery. This anastomosis has previously been reported twice (Quain, 1844; Gruber, 1867) but without explanation as to the course taken by the anastomotic branch. The SUA was found in the right arm of a 66‐y‐old male during routine dissections in the Unit of Anatomy and Embryology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.