Superficial palmar venous arch

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Superficial palmar venous arch
Gray1237.svg
Palm of left hand, showing position of skin creases and bones, and surface markings for the volar arches. (Superficial palmar venous arch not visible, but diagram shows location of corresponding artery.)
Details
Source common palmar digital veins
Drains to ulnar vein
Artery superficial palmar arch
Identifiers
Latin arcus venosus palmaris superficialis
TA A12.3.08.026
FMA 22914
Anatomical terminology

The superficial palmar arch is accompanied by a pair of venae comitantes which constitute the superficial palmar venous arch. It receives the veins corresponding to the branches of the superficial arterial arch: the common palmar digital veins.

Superficial palmar arch

The superficial palmar arch is formed predominantly by the ulnar artery, with a contribution from the superficial palmar branch of the radial artery. However, in some individuals the contribution from the radial artery might be absent, and instead anastomoses with either the princeps pollicis artery, the radialis indicis artery, or the median artery, the former two of which are branches from the radial artery.

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Lumbricals of the hand

The lumbricals are intrinsic muscles of the hand that flex the metacarpophalangeal joints and extend the interphalangeal joints.

Anatomical snuffbox

The anatomical snuff box or snuffbox is a triangular deepening on the radial, dorsal aspect of the hand—at the level of the carpal bones, specifically, the scaphoid and trapezium bones forming the floor. The name originates from the use of this surface for placing and then sniffing powdered tobacco, or "snuff." It is sometimes referred to by its French name tabatière.

Radial artery Large forearm artery

In human anatomy, the radial artery is the main artery of the lateral aspect of the forearm.

Ulnar artery Artery of the forearm

The ulnar artery is the main blood vessel, with oxygenated blood, of the medial aspect of the forearm. It arises from the brachial artery and terminates in the superficial palmar arch, which joins with the superficial branch of the radial artery. It is palpable on the anterior and medial aspect of the wrist.

Palmaris brevis muscle

Palmaris brevis is a thin, quadrilateral muscle, placed beneath the integument of the ulnar side of the hand. It acts to fold the skin of the hypothenar eminence transversally.

Palmar aponeurosis

The palmar aponeurosis invests the muscles of the palm, and consists of central, lateral, and medial portions.

Lateral cutaneous nerve of forearm

The lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve passes behind the cephalic vein, and divides, opposite the elbow-joint, into a volar and a dorsal branch.

Deep palmar arch

The deep palmar arch is an arterial network found in the palm. It is usually formed mainly from the terminal part of the radial artery, with the ulnar artery contributing via its deep palmar branch, by an anastomosis. This is in contrast to the superficial palmar arch, which is formed predominantly by the ulnar artery.

Superficial temporal vein

The superficial temporal vein is a vein of the side of the head. It begins on the side and vertex of the skull in a network of veins which communicates with the frontal vein and supraorbital vein, with the corresponding vein of the opposite side, and with the posterior auricular vein and occipital vein. It ultimately crosses the posterior root of the zygomatic arch, enters the parotid gland, and unites with the internal maxillary vein to form the posterior facial vein.

Palmar metacarpal arteries

The palmar metacarpal arteries, three or four in number, arise from the convexity of the deep volar arch

Radial artery of index finger

The radialis indicis artery is a branch of the radial artery that provides blood to the index finger.

Dorsal carpal arch

The dorsal carpal arch is an anatomical term for the combination (anastomosis) of dorsal carpal branch of the radial artery and the dorsal carpal branch of the ulnar artery near the back of the wrist.

Common palmar digital arteries

Three common palmar digital arteries arise from the convexity of the superficial palmar arch and proceed distally on the second, third, and fourth lumbricales muscles.

Dorsal metacarpal arteries

Most of the dorsal metacarpal arteries arise from the dorsal carpal arch and run downward on the second, third, and fourth dorsal interossei of the hand and bifurcate into the dorsal digital arteries. Near their origin, they anastomose with the deep palmar arch by perforating arteries. They also anastomose with common palmar digital arteries, also via perforating arteries.

Proper palmar digital nerves of median nerve

In the palm of the hand the median nerve is covered by the skin and the palmar aponeurosis, and rests on the tendons of the Flexor muscles. Immediately after emerging from under the transverse carpal ligament the median nerve becomes enlarged and flattened and splits into a smaller, lateral, and a larger, medial portion.

Palmar carpal arch

The palmar carpal arch is the combination (anastomosis) of two arteries: the palmar carpal branch of radial artery and the palmar carpal branch of ulnar artery.

A circulatory anastomosis is a connection between two blood vessels, such as between arteries, between veins or between an artery and a vein. Anastomoses between arteries and between veins result in a multitude of arteries and veins, respectively, serving the same volume of tissue. Such anastomoses occur normally in the body in the circulatory system, serving as backup routes for blood to flow if one link is blocked or otherwise compromised, but may also occur pathologically.

Superficial palmar branch of radial artery

The superficial palmar branch of the radial artery arises from the radial artery, just where this vessel is about to wind around the lateral side of the wrist.

Deep palmar venous arch

The deep palmar arch is accompanied by a pair of venae comitantes which constitute the deep palmar venous arch. It receives the veins corresponding to the branches of the arterial arch: the palmar metacarpal veins.

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 663 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

The public domain consists of all the creative works to which no exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or may be inapplicable.

<i>Grays Anatomy</i> English-language textbook of human anatomy

Gray's Anatomy is an English language textbook of human anatomy originally written by Henry Gray and illustrated by Henry Vandyke Carter. Earlier editions were called Anatomy: Descriptive and Surgical and Gray's Anatomy: Descriptive and Applied, but the book's name is commonly shortened to, and later editions are titled, Gray's Anatomy. The book is widely regarded as an extremely influential work on the subject, and has continued to be revised and republished from its initial publication in 1858 to the present day. The latest edition of the book, the 41st, was published in September 2015.