Superficial brachioulnar artery in man.

The individual arterial pattern of the upper limb is considerably variable (11-24%) and relevant for intraarterial interventions performed by cardiologists, plastic and vascular surgeons, radiologists, anaesthesiologists, transplant specialists, orthopaedists and neurosurgeons. Arterial variants in the upper limb result from modifications in the maintenance and regression of the initial capillary plexus, which forms dominant arterial channels and gradually expands into the growing upper limb bud between stages 12 and 21. In this case report we present the superficial brachioulnar artery with its external diameter of 3 mm and length of 525 mm, and of relevant course in the left upper limb of a 78-year-old male Caucasian formalin-fixed cadaver. The superficial brachioulnar artery unusually started with the superior part of axillary artery, presented the following five parts: axillary, brachial, cubital, antebrachial and palmar, and was finally continuous with the superficial palmar arch. The typical ulnar artery was somewhat hypoplastic and limited to the forearm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in the professional literature to describe the start of the superficial brachioulnar artery with the superior part of axillary artery. We conclude the individual arterial pattern of the upper limb to be indispensably recognised preoperatively, so as to circumvent any unwanted injuries to the superficial brachioulnar artery that is considerably large, overlies the antebrachial fascia and supplies the superficial palmar arch.

Variaciones anatómicas de las arterias radial y ulnar en miembros superiores plastinados / Anatomical variations of radial and ulnar arteries in plastinated upper limbs

Los avances en el área de la salud, con el desarrollo de nuevos procedimientos diagnósticos y quirúrgicos, requieren un conocimiento cada vez más preciso de la anatomía humana. La difusión de la disposición variable de la anatomía resulta primordial no sólo en el campo de la especialización o el postgrado, sino por sobre todo, en el pregrado, desde donde se formarán los especialistas que luego desarrollarán esas nuevas prácticas clínicas y quirúrgicas que requerirán una sólida formación anatómica. Es por esto que la aplicación correcta de técnicas anatómicas en las muestras anatómicas es fundamental para que esta enseñanza en el pregrado pueda desarrollarse de manera eficiente, teniendo la plastinación un rol fundamental en este sentido. El objetivo de este trabajo consistió en dar a conocer el hallazgo de variaciones anatómicas arteriales en los miembros superiores de una muestra humana sometida al proceso de plastinación para fomentar, por un lado, la importancia del conocimiento anatómico en el pregrado, el postgrado y las especialidades, como así también la relevancia de la preservación a largo plazo de material biológico para la difusión continua de la anatomía.

SUMMARY: Advances in the area of health with the development of new diagnostic and surgical procedures require an increasingly precise knowledge of human anatomy. The diffusion of the variable arrangement of anatomy is essential not only in the field of specialization or postgraduate, but above all, in the undergraduate, from where the specialists will be trained who will later develop these new clinical and surgical practices that will require a solid anatomical background. This is why the correct application of anatomical techniques in anatomical samples is essential for this undergraduate teaching to be developed efficiently, plastination having a fundamental role in this regard. The aim of this work was to report the discovery of anatomical variations in the upper limbs of a human sample subjected to the plastination process to promote, on one hand, the importance of anatomical knowledge in undergraduate, postgraduate and specialties, as well as the relevance of long- term preservation of biological material for the continued dissemination of anatomy.

A Unique Branching Pattern of the Brachial Artery: Coexisting Superficial Ulnar Artery and Persistent Median Artery.

The presence of both a superficial ulnar artery (SUA) and persistent median artery (PMA) of antebrachial type is of both clinical and surgical significance. In an 84-year-old female cadaver received through the Gift Body Program at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, the right brachial artery was seen divided into an SUA and radial artery (RA) slightly below the interepicondylar line of the humerus. At the level of the radial neck, the RA sent out the common interosseous artery that then gave off the radial recurrent artery before bifurcating into anterior interosseous artery (AIA) and posterior interosseous artery. The AIA continued to appear to branch into the anterior ulnar recurrent artery and posterior ulnar recurrent artery, as well as a PMA of the antebrachial type. In the hand, the SUA and RA contributed to the complete superficial palmar arch seemingly equally, and the RA was the dominant contribution to the deep palmar arch. Ninety-one other arms were assessed for this variation, and none were observed. Knowledge of an anatomical variation such as this may lead to decreased complications in the planning of surgical bypass grafting.

Recognition of Laceration of an Aberrant Superficial Ulnar Artery With Intraoperative Allen Test and Primary Repair.

There are variations in anatomy that may alter the vasculature of an individual. This case report demonstrates an abnormal branching pattern of a lacerated ulnar artery and its successful surgical repair. Without proper identification, anatomical variations can negatively impact a trauma patient.

Anatomical variations of the superficial ulnar artery: case series observed on historical specimens prepared by Ludwik Karol Teichmann.

BACKGROUND: This report presents a series of cases representing variant origin and course of the ulnar artery, namely the superficial ulnar artery (SUA), observed during the review of collection of historical specimens prepared in the 19th century by the prominent Polish anatomist Ludwik Karol Teichmann and his collaborators, exhibited in the Anatomy Museum of Jagiellonian University Medical College. RESULTS: Three distinct variants of the SUA were found on anatomical specimens of the upper limb with arteries injected by using Teichmann's method. In case no. 1, the SUA originated from the brachial artery slightly above the interepicondylar line of the humerus. This aberrant vessel gave off the common interosseous artery in the upper half of the cubital fossa and then ran superficially to the bicipital aponeurosis and over the muscles arising from the medial epicondyle of the humerus. The cases no. 2 and 3 involved two similar variants of the superficial artery in which the common interosseous artery arose from the radial artery. In the unique case no. 4, the SUA arose from the radial artery. CONCLUSIONS: The SUA shows diverse anatomy regarding its topography and blood supply territory. Orthopaedic, hand, and plastic surgeons should be aware of anatomic variations of the SUA both in planning and in conducting surgeries of the upper limb.

An unusual topographic relationship between high origin of superficial ulnar artery and bitendinous palmaris longus.

The ulnar artery usually arises from the brachial artery at the cubital fossa. It descends beneath the flexor carpi ulnaris in the forearm and then terminates at the wrist joint by forming the superficial palmar arch with the contributory radial artery. In the present study, we report a more proximal origin of ulnar artery presenting a superficial course in the lower portion of the upper extremity, termed superficial ulnar artery. Interestingly, this artery lies superficially to a bitendinous palmaris longus, a variant muscle in the forearm. The relation between arterial and muscular variations may be useful during clinical procedures such as angiography, forearm flap and tendon grafting as well as avoiding accidental intra-arterial injection.

Arteria ulnar superficial, bilateral y antebraquial: similitudes y diferencias / Superficial ulnar artery, bilateral and antebrachial: similarities and differences

Describimos un hallazgo infrecuente de arteria ulnar superficial en ambos antebrazos de un cadáver, con origen en la arteria braquial, a nivel de la fosa cubital. Las arterias presentan un trayecto que dividimos en cuatro segmentos, a causa de sus flexuosidades. Ambos antebrazos presentan ausencia del músculo palmaris longus. Se resumen las principales teorías sobre su desarrollo y las complicaciones que pueden ser ocasionadas por su presencia y el eventual beneficio de la misma. Hasta el momento, no hemos encontrado en la literatura, una disposición morfológica de arterias ulnares superficiales como las aquí descritas.

We describe an infrequent finding of a superficial ulnar artery in both cadaver forearms, which originates in the brachial artery at cubital fossa level. The arteries have a path that we divided into four segments, because of their flexuosities. Both forearms showed an absence of the palmaris longus muscle. This summarizes the main theories about its development and the complications and eventual benefits that can be caused by its presence. So far, we have not found in the literature, a morphological disposition of superficial ulnar arteries such as those described here.

Superficial Ulnar Artery Crossing Over the Palmaris Longus Tendon at the Wrist in a Cadaver: A Case Report.

Superficial ulnar artery (SUA) is defined as arterial variation of an ulnar artery of high origin that lies superficially in the forearm. Because an SUA may be mistaken for a superficial vein, there is a risk of arterial damage. During routine dissection of the cadaver, we incidentally detected a case of unilateral SUA in the left arm. SUA arose from the axillary artery and descended superficial to the axillary artery and median nerve. At the wrist, the SUA crossed over palmaris longus (PL) tendon from the radial side to the ulnar side. In this cadaver, the PL tendon was located on the ulnar side and was thicker than the flexor carpi radialis tendon. Clinicians should check for the presence of SUA before any technical procedure, because lack of awareness of its presence can have serious consequences.

Bifurcation of brachial artery into a common radial-interosseous trunk and superficial ulnar artery: a rare variation.

Variations in the branching pattern of brachial artery and abnormal course of its branches are not uncommon. The present article describes a case of bifurcation of the brachial artery into a common radial-interosseous trunk and superficial ulnar artery. The embryological basis behind the present case report could be, the radial artery establishing a connection with the axis artery just below the level of origin of ulnar artery, the posterior interosseous artery arising from the axis artery distal to the origin of the radial artery. The part of axis artery between origin of ulnar and radial artery must have developed into the common radial-interosseous trunk. The part of axis artery between origin of radial and posterior interosseous arteries develops as the common interosseous artery. The superficial position of ulnar artery could enable the surgeons in raising a free ulnar forearm flap for head and neck reconstructive surgeries.

Superficial Ulnar Artery Associated with Anomalous Origin of the Common Interosseous and Ulnar Recurrent Arteries.

Occurrence of vascular variations in the upper limb is not uncommon and is well described in the medical literature. However, occurrence of superficial ulnar artery associated with unusual origin of the common interosseous and ulnar recurrent arteries is seldom reported in the literature. In the present case, we report the anomalous origin of common trunk of common interosseous, anterior and posterior ulnar recurrent arteries from the radial artery, in a male cadaver. Further, ulnar artery had presented superficial course. Knowledge of anomalous arterial pattern in the cubital fossa reported here is clinically important during the angiographic procedures and plastic surgeries.

Superficial Ulnar Artery: A Case Report of its Unusual Course.

After arising from the brachial artery in the cubital fossa the ulnar artery usually passes deep into the superficial flexor muscles of the forearm. In the lower two-thirds, it typically follows a sub-fascial course. In the present case, during a routine undergraduate course dissection of a cadaver, it was found that the ulnar artery arose normally as a terminal branch of the brachial artery in the cubital fossa, followed a sub-fascial course by lying superficial to the flexor muscles then completed the superficial palmar arch in hand. This artery gave only minute muscular branches in the forearm. Moreover, the main branches that usually arise from the ulnar artery were given off by the radial artery. This type of variation is of importance for both the clinicians and surgeons due to its vulnerability to injuries and of academic interest for anatomists.

[Superficial ulnar artery while harvesting a radial forearm flap]. / Artère ulnaire superficielle, découverte fortuite lors du prélèvement d'un lambeau antébrachial radial.

Forearm vascular anatomical variations are common and may have complications during flaps harvesting. This article describes the presence of an ulnar superficial artery, revealed while harvesting a radial forearm flap. The prevalence of this anatomical variation is between 0.7 and 9.4%. It may have important consequences while covering loss of substance with a radial forearm flap. Unknown, there is a risk of vascular injury which may lead to distal ischemia of the upper limb. Preoperative diagnosis can anticipate this risk and harvest a fascio-cutaneous flap centered on a perforator of this artery.

Trifurcation of superficial brachial artery: a rare case with its clinico-embryological implications.

Literatures on vasculature of upper limbs are crammed with reports of distinctly deviant version of normally prevalent vessels having modified origins, altered branching and odd courses. A unique anatomical variation in vascular pattern was observed during routine dissection of right upper limb in gross anatomy laboratory, AIIMS, New Delhi, India. The brachial artery was placed superficial to median nerve in the arm and therefore it was called superficial brachial artery. In the cubital fossa, 2.8 cm distal to intercondylar line of elbow joint, this superficial brachial artery terminated by trifurcation into radial, common interosseous and ulnar branches. Strikingly the ulnar branch, after its origin ran superficially over the median nerve and epitrochlear superficial flexor group of muscles of forearm in succession for the initial third of its course in the forearm, consequently it was addressed as superficial ulnar artery. The existence of superficial brachial artery in place of normal brachial artery, its termination by trifurcation into radial, common interosseous and superficial ulnar arteries with remarkably different courses, leads to confusing disposition of structures in the arm, cubital fossa and in the forearm and collectively makes this myriad of anatomical variations even rarer. The clinico-embryological revelations for combination of these unconventional observations, apprises and guides the specialized medical personnel attempting blind and invasive procedures in brachium and ante-brachium. This case report depicts the anatomical perspective and clinical implications on confronting a rare variant vasculature architecture pattern of upper limb.

Anomalous superficial ulnar artery based flap.

Upper limb shows a large number of arterial variations. This case report describes the presence of additional superficial ulnar artery which was used to raise a pedicle flap to cover an arm defect thus avoided using the main vessel of the forearm - radial or ulnar artery. Vascular anomalies occurring in the arm and forearm tend to increase the likelihood of damaging the superficial anomalous arteries during surgery. Superficial ulnar or radial arteries have been described to originate from the upper third of the brachial artery; here we report the origin of the anomalous superficial ulnar artery originating from the brachial artery at the level of elbow with the concomitant presence of normal deep radial and ulnar arteries.

Superficial ulnar artery: Clinical recommendations to avoid iatrogenic complications due to variation in arterial system.

Superficial ulnar artery is an uncommon variation in which the ulnar artery is having its course superficial to the flexors of the forearm and may arise directly from axillary or brachial arteries. The proper understanding and knowledge of variation of arterial systems is helpful for judicious planning of various reconstructive procedures in oncological, orthopaedic and reconstructive surgeries. We present a case of variant course of ulnar artery which was noted during exploration of a right distal forearm wound. We suggest few clinical recommendations to avoid iatrogenic complications due to variation in arterial system.