DOI: 10.36347/sjmcr.2016.v04i12.012

Pages: 917-919

Superficial palmar arch is a dominant vascular structure in the palm. About a third of superficial palmar arches are formed by ulnar artery alone; a further third are completed by the superficial palmar branch of radial artery; and a third by the arteria radialis indicis, a branch of either arteria princeps pollicis or median artery. During routine dissection in the Department of Anatomy, Sree Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Ernakulam, a variant in the formation of superficial palmar arch was observed in right hand of embalmed human male cadaver. The superficial palmar arterial arch observed was of incomplete variety, where superficial branch of ulnar artery supplied medial three and half fingers without anastomosing with the superficial palmar branch of radial artery. The lateral side of index finger and thumb were supplied by deep branch of radial artery. Knowledge about the variations of vascular pattern in hand has gained more importance in reconstructive hand surgeries, microsurgical techniques, preoperative screening of the radial artery harvesting for the myocardial revascularisation.