The palmar branch of the ulnar nerve arises about five cm proximal to the

wrist In human anatomy, the wrist is variously defined as (1) the carpus or carpal bones, the complex of eight bones forming the proximal skeletal segment of the hand; "The wrist contains eight bones, roughly aligned in two rows, known as the carpal ...

from where the

ulnar nerve The ulnar nerve is a nerve that runs near the ulna, one of the two long bones in the forearm. 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 ...

splits into palmar and dorsal branches. It supplies

sensory innervation Cutaneous innervation refers to an area of the skin which is supplied by a specific cutaneous nerve. Dermatomes are similar; however, a dermatome only specifies the area served by a spinal nerve. In some cases, the dermatome is less specific (whe ...

to a small area in the palmar surface of the wrist. The palmar branch represents the continuation of the ulnar nerve as it crosses the

flexor retinaculum of the hand The flexor retinaculum (transverse carpal ligament or anterior annular ligament) is a fibrous band on the palmar side of the hand near the wrist. It arches over the carpal bones of the hands, covering them and forming the carpal tunnel. Structur ...

on the lateral side of the

pisiform The pisiform bone ( or ), also spelled pisiforme (from the Latin ''pisiformis'', pea-shaped), is a small knobbly, sesamoid bone that is found in the wrist. It forms the ulnar border of the carpal tunnel. Structure The pisiform is a sesamoid bone, ...

bone, medial to and a little behind 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 ...

. Some sources state that it ends by dividing into a superficial and a deep branch.The Anterior Divisions – Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body – Yahoo! Education
(Other sources state that the

superficial branch of ulnar nerve The superficial branch of the ulnar nerve is a terminal branch of the ulnar nerve. It supplies the palmaris brevis and the skin on the ulnar side of the hand. It also divides into a common palmar digital nerve and a proper palmar digital nerve. ...

and

deep branch of ulnar nerve The deep branch of the ulnar nerve is a terminal, primarily motor branch of the ulnar nerve. It is accompanied by the deep palmar branch of ulnar artery. Structure It passes between the abductor digiti minimi and the flexor digiti minimi brevis ...

are the terminal branches of the ulnar nerve itself.)

Additional Images

File:Slide1ll.JPG, Palmar branch of ulnar nerve File:Slide2gggg.JPG, Palmar branch of ulnar nerve

References

External links

* - palmar at left Nerves of the upper limb {{Neuroanatomy-stub