The dorsal carpal branch of the radial artery (posterior radial carpal artery) is a small vessel which arises beneath the extensor tendons of the thumb; crossing the

carpus 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 carpal ...

transversely toward the medial border of the hand, it anastomoses with the dorsal carpal branch of the

ulnar artery The ulnar artery is the main blood vessel, with oxygenated blood, of the medial aspects of the forearm. It arises from the brachial artery and terminates in the superficial palmar arch, which joins with the superficial branch of the radial ar ...

. The dorsal branch of the radial artery also branches into the dorsalis pollicis artery; more distally it branches into the

princeps pollicis artery The princeps pollicis artery, or principal artery of the thumb, arises from the radial artery just as it turns medially towards the deep part of the hand; it descends between the first dorsal interossei of the hand, dorsal interosseous muscle and ...

, and anastomoses with perforating branches of the deep palmar arch

References

External links

* - "Dorsum of the hand, deep dissection, posterior view" Arteries of the upper limb {{circulatory-stub