Anomalies of radial and ulnar arteries

Abstract

During dissection conducted in an anatomy department of the right upper limb of the cadaver of a 70-year-old male, both origin and course of the radial and ulnar arteries were found to be anomalous. After descending 5.5 cm from the lower border of the teres major, the brachial artery anomalously bifurcated into a radial artery medially and an ulnar artery laterally. In the arm, the ulnar artery lay lateral to the median nerve. It followed a normal course in the forearm. The radial artery was medial to the median nerve in the arm and then, at the level of the medial epicondyle, it crossed from the medial to the lateral side of the forearm, superficial to the flexor muscles. The course of the radial artery was superficial and tortuous throughout the arm and forearm. The variations of radial and ulnar arteries described above were associated with anomalous formation and course of the median nerve in the arm. Knowledge of neurovascular anomalies are important for vascular surgeons and radiologists.

Radial artery access site complications during cardiac procedures, clinical implications and potential solutions: The role of nitric oxide

“…The RA runs along the lateral part of the front of the forearm beside the superficial branch of the radial nerve [19,20] . Variation in the anatomy of the RA is less frequent in the distal forearm, where arterial cannulation is commonly performed [18,19,21] .…”