Ulnar artery

Ulnar artery
Ulnar artery
	Ulnar vein
Identifiers
Latin	arteria ulnaris
MeSH	D017535
TA98	A12.2.09.041
TA2	4655
FMA	22796
	Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

The ulnar artery is the main

medial aspects 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

.

Along its course, it is accompanied by a similarly named

ulnar vein

or ulnar veins.

The ulnar artery, the larger of the two terminal branches of the brachial, begins a little below the bend of the

elbow in the cubital fossa, and, passing obliquely downward, reaches the ulnar side of the forearm at a point about midway between the elbow and the wrist. It then runs along the ulnar border to the wrist, crosses the transverse carpal ligament on the radial side of the pisiform bone, and immediately beyond this bone divides into two branches, which enter into the formation of the superficial and deep

volar arches.

Branches

Forearm: Anterior ulnar recurrent artery, Posterior ulnar recurrent artery,

Common interosseous

is very short, around 1 cm, and gives rise to the anterior, posterior, and recurrent interosseous arteries and close to the wrist it gives off the

dorsal carpal branch which is the ulnar contribution to dorsal carpal arch

.

Hand: Deep palmar branch of ulnar artery which passes through the hypothenar muscles to anastomose with the deep palmar arch which is formed predominantly by the radial artery and the terminal branch of the ulnar artery is then to form the superficial palmar arch.

Relations

In its upper half, it is deeply seated, being covered by the

Flexor digitorum profundus

.

The

Pronator teres

.

In the lower half of the forearm it lies upon the

Flexor digitorum superficialis

.

It is accompanied by two

Flexor carpi ulnaris; the ulnar nerve

lies on the medial side of the lower two-thirds of the artery, and the palmar cutaneous branch of the nerve descends on the lower part of the vessel to the palm of the hand.

Wrist

At the wrist the ulnar artery is covered by the integument and the

volar carpal ligament, and lies upon the Flexor retinaculum of the hand. On its medial side is the pisiform bone, and, somewhat behind the artery, the ulnar nerve

.

Peculiarities

The ulnar artery varies in its origin in the proportion of about one in thirteen cases; it may arise about 5 to 7 cm. below the elbow, but more frequently higher, the brachial being more often the source of origin than the axillary.

Variations in the position of this vessel are more common than in the radial. When its origin is normal, the course of the vessel is rarely changed.

When it arises high up, it is almost invariably superficial to the Flexor muscles in the forearm, lying commonly beneath the fascia, more rarely between the fascia and integument.

In a few cases, its position is subcutaneous in the upper part of the forearm, and subaponeurotic in the lower part.

Additional images

Cross-section through the middle of the forearm.
Transverse section across distal ends of radius and ulna.
Transverse section across the wrist and digits.
The palmar aponeurosis.
Diagram of the anastomosis around the elbow-joint.
Arteries of the right forearm - anterior view.
Ulnar and radial arteries. Deep view.

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 595 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

External links

Ulnar artery at the Duke University Health System's Orthopedics program
lesson4artofforearm at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University)