The superficial palmar arch is formed predominantly by 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 ...
, 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.
Alternative names for this arterial arch are: superficial volar arch, superficial ulnar arch, arcus palmaris superficialis, or arcus volaris superficialis.
[Again, ''palmar'' and ''volar'' may be used synonymously, but ''arcus volaris superficialis'' does not occur in the TA, and can therefore be considered deprecated.]
The arch passes across the
palm
Palm most commonly refers to:
* Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand
* Palm plants, of family Arecaceae
** List of Arecaceae genera
**Palm oil
* Several other plants known as "palm"
Palm or Palms may also refer to:
Music ...
in a curve (Boeckel's line) with its convexity downward,
With 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 ...
fully extended, the superficial palmar arch would lie approximately 1 cm from a line drawn between the first web space to the
hook of hamate (Kaplan's cardinal line). The superficial palmar arch extends more
distally than the
deep palmar arch. The connection between the deep and superficial palmar arterial arches is an example of
anastomosis
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, or streams. Such a connection may be normal (su ...
, and can be tested for using
Allen's test.
Three
common palmar digital arteries arise from the arch, proceeding down on the second, third, and fourth
lumbrical muscles, respectively. They each receive a contribution from a
palmar metacarpal artery. Near the level of the
metacarpophalangeal joints
The metacarpophalangeal joints (MCP) are situated between the metacarpal bones and the proximal phalanges of the fingers. These joints are of the condyloid kind, formed by the reception of the rounded heads of the metacarpal bones into shallow ...
, each common palmar digital artery divides into two
proper palmar digital arteries
The proper palmar digital arteries travel along the sides of the phalanges (along the contiguous sides of the index, middle, ring, and little fingers), each artery lying just below (dorsal (anatomy), dorsal to) its corresponding Dorsal digital nerv ...
.
Four digital branches arise from this palmar arch that supplies the medial/ulnar 3 1/2 fingers.
See also
*
Deep palmar arch
*
Palmar carpal arch
*
Dorsal carpal arch
Additional images
File:Gray425.png, The palmar aponeurosis.
File:Gray527.png, The radial and ulnar arteries.
File:Slide15RRR.JPG, Superficial palmar arterial and venous arches
File:Slide7AAAA.JPG, Superficial palmar arterial and venous arche
File:Slide13AAAAA.JPG, Superficial palmar arterial and venous arche
File:Slide9HHHH.JPG, Superficial palmar arterial and venous arche
File:Slide9IIII.JPG, Superficial palmar arterial and venous arche
File:Slide6OOOO.JPG, Superficial palmar arterial and venous arche
File:Slide16OOOO.JPG, Superficial palmar arterial and venous arche
Footnotes and references
References
External links
*
* - "Palm of the hand, superficial dissection, anterior view"
Arteries of the upper limb
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