Arteries of the Hand

Description

Radiating from the distal forearm, the radial artery tracks along the lateral (thumb) side and the ulnar artery descends medially toward the pisiform, where it enters the palm superficial to the flexor retinaculum. Across the carpus and metacarpals, the ulnar contribution continues as the superficial palmar arch, while the radial contribution curves more deeply to form the deep palmar arch, with palmar metacarpal arteries and common palmar digital arteries running distally into the proper digital arteries of each digit. Bony landmarks of the radius and ulna, the carpal bones, metacarpals, and phalanges provide clear positional reference for the vessels as they pass from proximal forearm to the distal phalanges. Dense vascularity. Clear corridors. Arterial anatomy of the hand matters most when perfusion is threatened or surgically manipulated, and this layout clarifies why radial or ulnar inflow can compensate through the palmar arches in some patients but not others. Radial artery harvest for coronary artery bypass grafting, transradial catheterization, and traumatic lacerations near the volar wrist all hinge on understanding the relationship of the radial and ulnar arteries to the carpus and the course of the digital arteries toward the fingertips. The depiction also supports teaching Allen test rationale and the expected distribution of ischemia in segmental injury to an arch or a proper digital artery. Hand surgery and orthopedics lectures often need a single plate that ties carpal and metacarpal anatomy to the arterial tree, from the distal radius and ulna to the terminal branches in the digits. Use it in anatomy lab manuals, procedural consent materials for arterial line placement or radial access, and publisher figures discussing palmar arch variants and digital revascularization strategies. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.