The deep palmar arch (deep volar arch) is an arterial network found in the palm. It is usually primarily formed from the terminal part of the radial artery. The ulnar artery also contributes through an

anastomosis An anastomosis (, plural anastomoses) is a connection or opening between two things (especially cavities or passages) that are normally diverging or branching, such as between blood vessels, leaf#Veins, leaf veins, or streams. Such a connection m ...

. This is in contrast to the

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 instea ...

, which is formed predominantly by the ulnar artery.

Structure

The deep palmar arch is usually primarily formed from the radial artery. The ulnar artery also contributes through an anastomosis. The deep palmar arch lies upon the bases of the

metacarpal bones In human anatomy, the metacarpal bones or metacarpus form the intermediate part of the skeletal hand located between the phalanges of the fingers and the carpal bones of the wrist, which forms the connection to the forearm. The metacarpal bones ...

and on the interossei of the hand. It is deep to the oblique head of the

adductor pollicis In human anatomy, the adductor pollicis muscle is a muscle in the hand that functions to adduct the thumb. It has two heads: transverse and oblique. It is a fleshy, flat, triangular, and fan-shaped muscle deep in the thenar compartment beneath ...

muscle, the flexor tendons of the fingers, and the lumbricals of the hand. Alongside of it, but running in the opposite direction—toward the radial side of the hand—is the deep branch of the

ulnar nerve In human anatomy, the ulnar nerve is a nerve that runs near the ulna bone. The ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint is in relation with the ulnar nerve. The nerve is the largest in the human body unprotected by muscle or bone, so injury is ...

. The

is more distally located than the deep palmar arch. If one were to fully extend the thumb and draw a line from the distal border of the thumb across the palm, this would be the level of the superficial palmar arch (Boeckel's line). The deep palmar arch is about a finger width proximal to this. The connection between the deep and superficial palmar arterial arches is an example of

. This anastomosis can be tested for using Allen's test. The palmar metacarpal arteries arise from the deep palmar arch.

Function

The deep palmar arch supplies the

thumb The thumb is the first digit of the hand, next to the index finger. When a person is standing in the medical anatomical position (where the palm is facing to the front), the thumb is the outermost digit. The Medical Latin English noun for thumb ...

and the lateral side of the index finger.

References

External links

* * ("Palm of the hand, deep dissection, anterior view")

Additional Images

File:Slide7VVVVV.JPG, Deep palmar arterial arch File:Slide10VVVV.JPG, Deep palmar arterial arch {{Authority control Arteries of the upper limb

Structure

Function

See also

References

External links

Additional Images