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Bilateral superficial median arteries

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 1999

TOSHIO NAKATANI
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomy II, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa 9208640, Japan Present address: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, 5-11-80 Kodatsuna, Kanazawa 9200942, Japan.
ATSUSHI IZUMI
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomy II, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa 9208640, Japan
SHIGENORI TANAKA
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomy II, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa 9208640, Japan
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Abstract

A superficial artery may be present in the forearm, arising from the axillary, brachial or superficial brachial arteries and crossing over the origin of the flexor muscles of the forearm to reach the palm (Adachi, 1928; Bergman et al. 1988). When this superficial artery continues as the normal ulnar artery accompanying the ulnar nerve at the wrist, it is referred to as the superficial ulnar artery, with an incidence of ∼4%. When the artery passes below or superficial to the flexor retinaculum in the middle of the forearm, sometimes continuing to join the superficial palmar arch, it is called the superficial median artery, with an incidence of ∼1%. We have observed a relatively rare variation involving the presence of a superficial median artery in both upper limbs. We discuss the clinical importance and the developmental aspects of this arterial variation.

Type
Correspondence
Copyright
© Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1999

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