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The ulnar artery is the main
blood vessel The blood vessels are the components of the circulatory system that transport blood throughout the human body. These vessels transport blood cells, nutrients, and oxygen to the tissues of the body. They also take waste and carbon dioxide awa ...
, with oxygenated
blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in the cir ...
, of the medial aspects of the
forearm The forearm is the region of the upper limb between the elbow and the wrist. The term forearm is used in anatomy to distinguish it from the arm, a word which is most often used to describe the entire appendage of the upper limb, but which in ...
. It arises from the
brachial artery The brachial artery is the major blood vessel of the (upper) arm. It is the continuation of the axillary artery beyond the lower margin of teres major muscle. It continues down the ventral surface of the arm until it reaches the cubital foss ...
and terminates in the superficial palmar arch, which joins with the superficial branch of the
radial artery In human anatomy, the radial artery is the main artery of the lateral aspect of the forearm. Structure The radial artery arises from the bifurcation of the brachial artery in the antecubital fossa. It runs distally on the anterior part of the f ...
. It is palpable on the anterior and medial aspect of the
wrist In human anatomy, the wrist is variously defined as (1) the carpus or carpal bones, the complex of eight bones forming the proximal skeletal segment of the hand; "The wrist contains eight bones, roughly aligned in two rows, known as the carp ...
. Along its course, it is accompanied by a similarly named
vein Veins are blood vessels in humans and most other animals that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenated ...
or veins, the 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 The elbow is the region between the arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and the me ...
in the
cubital fossa The cubital fossa, chelidon, or elbow pit, is the triangular area on the anterior side of the upper limb between the arm and forearm of a human or other hominid animals. It lies anteriorly to the elbow (Latin ) when in standard anatomical position ...
, 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 The pisiform bone ( or ), also spelled pisiforme (from the Latin ''pisifomis'', pea-shaped), is a small knobbly, sesamoid bone that is found in the wrist. It forms the ulnar border of the carpal tunnel. Structure The pisiform is a sesamoid bone, ...
, and immediately beyond this bone divides into two branches, which enter into the formation of the
superficial Superficial may refer to: *Superficial anatomy, is the study of the external features of the body *Superficiality, the discourses in philosophy regarding social relation *Superficial charm, the tendency to be smooth, engaging, charming, slick and ...
and deep volar arches.


Branches

Forearm: Anterior ulnar recurrent artery,
Posterior ulnar recurrent artery The posterior ulnar recurrent artery is an artery in the forearm. It is one of two recurrent arteries that arises from the ulnar artery, the other being the anterior ulnar recurrent artery. The posterior ulnar recurrent artery being much larger t ...
, 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 palmar carpal branch which is the ulnar contribution to the
palmar carpal arch The palmar carpal arch is the combination (anastomosis) of two arteries: the Palmar carpal branch of radial artery and the palmar carpal branch of ulnar artery. This anastomosis is joined by a branch from the anterior interosseous artery above, a ...
and it also gives a dorsal carpal branch which is the ulnar contribution to
dorsal carpal arch The dorsal carpal arch (dorsal carpal network, posterior carpal arch) is an anatomical term for the combination (anastomosis) of dorsal carpal branch of the radial artery and the dorsal carpal branch of the ulnar artery near the back of the wrist ...
. Hand: Deep palmar branch of ulnar artery which passes through the hypothenar muscles to anastomose with the
deep palmar arch The deep palmar arch (deep volar arch) is an arterial network found in the palm. It is usually primarily formed from the terminal part of the radial artery. The ulnar artery also contributes through an anastomosis. This is in contrast to the supe ...
which is formed predominantly by the
radial artery In human anatomy, the radial artery is the main artery of the lateral aspect of the forearm. Structure The radial artery arises from the bifurcation of the brachial artery in the antecubital fossa. It runs distally on the anterior part of the f ...
and the terminal branch of the ulnar artery is then to form the
superficial palmar arch The superficial palmar arch is formed predominantly by the ulnar artery, with a contribution from the superficial palmar branch of the radial artery. However, in some individuals the contribution from the radial artery might be absent, and inste ...
.


Relations

In its upper half, it is deeply seated, being covered by the
Pronator teres The pronator teres is a muscle (located mainly in the forearm) that, along with the pronator quadratus, serves to pronate the forearm (turning it so that the palm faces posteriorly when from the anatomical position). It has two attachments, to t ...
, Flexor carpi radialis,
Palmaris longus The palmaris longus is a muscle Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as muscles) are organs of the vertebrate muscular system and typically are attached by tendons to bones of a skeleton. The muscle cells of skeletal muscles are much long ...
, and
Flexor digitorum superficialis Flexor digitorum superficialis (''flexor digitorum sublimis'') is an extrinsic flexor muscle of the fingers at the proximal interphalangeal joints. It is in the anterior compartment of the forearm. It is sometimes considered to be the deepest p ...
; it lies upon the
Brachialis The brachialis (brachialis anticus), also known as the Teichmann muscle, is a muscle in the upper arm that flexes the elbow. It lies deeper than the biceps brachii, and makes up part of the floor of the region known as the cubital fossa (elbow ...
and
Flexor digitorum profundus The flexor digitorum profundus is a muscle in the forearm of humans that flexes the fingers (also known as digits). It is considered an extrinsic hand muscle because it acts on the hand while its muscle belly is located in the forearm. Togeth ...
. The
median nerve The median nerve is a nerve in humans and other animals in the upper limb. It is one of the five main nerves originating from the brachial plexus. The median nerve originates from the lateral and medial cords of the brachial plexus, and has cont ...
is in relation with the medial side of the artery for about 2.5 cm. and then crosses the vessel, being separated from it by the ulnar head of the
Pronator teres The pronator teres is a muscle (located mainly in the forearm) that, along with the pronator quadratus, serves to pronate the forearm (turning it so that the palm faces posteriorly when from the anatomical position). It has two attachments, to t ...
. In the lower half of the forearm it lies upon the
Flexor digitorum profundus The flexor digitorum profundus is a muscle in the forearm of humans that flexes the fingers (also known as digits). It is considered an extrinsic hand muscle because it acts on the hand while its muscle belly is located in the forearm. Togeth ...
, being covered by the integument and the superficial and deep fasciæ, and placed between the
Flexor carpi ulnaris The flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) is a muscle of the forearm that flexes and adducts at the wrist joint. Structure Origin The flexor carpi ulnaris has two heads; a humeral head and ulnar head. The humeral head originates from the medial epicondyle of ...
and
Flexor digitorum superficialis Flexor digitorum superficialis (''flexor digitorum sublimis'') is an extrinsic flexor muscle of the fingers at the proximal interphalangeal joints. It is in the anterior compartment of the forearm. It is sometimes considered to be the deepest p ...
. It is accompanied by two venæ comitantes, and is overlapped in its middle third by the
Flexor carpi ulnaris The flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) is a muscle of the forearm that flexes and adducts at the wrist joint. Structure Origin The flexor carpi ulnaris has two heads; a humeral head and ulnar head. The humeral head originates from the medial epicondyle of ...
; the
ulnar nerve In human anatomy, the ulnar nerve is a nerve that runs near the ulna bone. The ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint is in relation with the ulnar nerve. The nerve is the largest in the human body unprotected by muscle or bone, so injury is ...
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 The flexor retinaculum (transverse carpal ligament, or anterior annular ligament) is a fibrous band on the palmar side of the hand near the wrist. It arches over the carpal bones of the hands, covering them and forming the carpal tunnel. Structur ...
. On its medial side is the
pisiform bone The pisiform bone ( or ), also spelled pisiforme (from the Latin ''pisifomis'', pea-shaped), is a small knobbly, sesamoid bone that is found in the wrist. It forms the ulnar border of the carpal tunnel. Structure The pisiform is a sesamoid bone, ...
, and, somewhat behind the artery, the
ulnar nerve In human anatomy, the ulnar nerve is a nerve that runs near the ulna bone. The ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint is in relation with the ulnar nerve. The nerve is the largest in the human body unprotected by muscle or bone, so injury is ...
.


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.


See also

*
Allen test In medicine, Allen's test or the Allen test is a medical sign used in physical examination of arterial blood flow to the hands. It was named for Edgar Van Nuys Allen, who described the original version of the test in 1942. An altered test, first ...


Additional images

File:Gray417_color.PNG, Cross-section through the middle of the forearm. File:Gray421.png, Transverse section across distal ends of radius and ulna. File:Gray422.png, Transverse section across the wrist and digits. File:Gray425.png, The palmar aponeurosis. File:Gray526.png, Diagram of the anastomosis around the elbow-joint. File:Gray527.png, Arteries of the right forearm - anterior view. File:Gray528.png, Ulnar and radial arteries. Deep view.


References


External links

* * {{Authority control Arteries of the upper limb