The posterior interosseous artery (dorsal interosseous artery) is an

artery An artery () is a blood vessel in humans and most other animals that takes oxygenated blood away from the heart in the systemic circulation to one or more parts of the body. Exceptions that carry deoxygenated blood are the pulmonary arteries in ...

of the

forearm The forearm is the region of the upper limb between the elbow and the wrist. The term forearm is used in anatomy to distinguish it from the arm, a word which is used to describe the entire appendage of the upper limb, but which in anatomy, techn ...

. It is a branch of the

common interosseous artery The common interosseous artery, about 1 cm. in length, arises immediately below the tuberosity of the radius from the ulnar artery. Passing backward to the upper border of the interosseous membrane An interosseous membrane is a thick den ...

, which is a branch of the

ulnar artery The ulnar artery is the main blood vessel, with oxygenated blood, of the Human Anatomical Terms#Anatomical directions, medial aspects of the forearm. It arises from the brachial artery and terminates in the superficial palmar arch, which joins ...

Structure

The posterior interosseous artery passes backward between the

oblique cord The oblique cord is a ligament between the ulnar and radius bones in the forearm near the elbow. It takes the form of a small, flattened band, extending distally and laterally, from the lateral side of the ulnar tuberosity at the base of the co ...

and the upper border of the

interosseous membrane An interosseous membrane is a thick dense fibrous sheet of connective tissue that spans the space between two bones, forming a type of syndesmosis joint. Interosseous membranes in the human body: * Interosseous membrane of forearm * Interosseo ...

. It appears between the contiguous borders of

supinator muscle In human anatomy, the supinator is a broad muscle in the posterior compartment of the forearm, curved around the upper third of the radius. Its function is to supinate the forearm. Structure The supinator consists of two planes of fibers, between ...

and the

abductor pollicis longus muscle In human anatomy, the abductor pollicis longus (APL) is one of the extrinsic muscles of the hand. Its major function is to abduct the thumb at the wrist. Its tendon forms the anterior border of the anatomical snuffbox. Structure The abducto ...

, and runs down the back of the forearm between the superficial and deep layers of muscles, to both of which it distributes branches. Where it lies on

and the

extensor pollicis brevis muscle In human anatomy, the extensor pollicis brevis (EPB) is a skeletal muscle on the dorsal side of the forearm. It lies on the medial side of, and is closely connected with, the abductor pollicis longus. The extensor pollicis brevis belongs to th ...

, it is accompanied by the dorsal interosseous nerve. At the lower part of the forearm it anastomoses with the termination of the volar interosseous artery, and with the dorsal carpal network.

Branches

Near its origin, it gives off the

interosseous recurrent artery The posterior interosseous recurrent artery (or recurrent interosseous artery) branches off the posterior interosseous artery near its origin. It ascends between the lateral epicondyle and olecranon, beneath the anconeus, upon or through the subs ...

. This ascends to the interval between the lateral epicondyle and olecranon, on or through the fibers of

, but beneath the

anconeus muscle The anconeus muscle (or anconaeus/anconæus) is a small muscle on the posterior aspect of the elbow joint. Some consider anconeus to be a continuation of the triceps brachii muscle. Some sources consider it to be part of the posterior compartmen ...

, and

anastomoses An anastomosis (, : 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 may be ...

with the middle collateral branch of the

deep artery of arm The deep artery of arm (also known as deep brachial artery) is a large artery of the arm which arises from the brachial artery. It descends in the arm before ending by anastomosing with the radial recurrent artery. Structure Origin The deep ...

, the

posterior ulnar recurrent artery The posterior ulnar recurrent artery is an artery in the forearm. It is one of two recurrent arteries that arises from the ulnar artery, the other being the anterior ulnar recurrent artery. The posterior ulnar recurrent artery being much larger t ...

and the

inferior ulnar collateral artery The inferior ulnar collateral artery (anastomotica magna artery) is an artery in the arm. It arises about 5 cm. above the elbow from the brachial artery. Course It passes medialward upon the brachialis, and piercing the medial intermuscular s ...

. The posterior interosseous artery gives off many muscular arteries.

Additional images

File:Gray329.png, Left elbow-joint, showing anterior and ulnar collateral ligaments. File:Gray417_color.PNG, Cross-section through the middle of the forearm. File:Slide7PPPP.JPG, Posterior interosseous artery File:Slide11PPPP.JPG, Posterior interosseous artery File:Slide1VVVV.JPG, Posterior interosseous artery and nerve

References

External links

* * * - "Dorsum of the hand, deep dissection, posterior view" {{Authority control Arteries of the upper limb

Structure

Branches

Additional images

See also

References

External links