The basilic vein is a large

superficial vein Superficial veins are veins that are close to the surface of the body, as opposed to deep veins, which are far from the surface. Superficial veins are not paired with an artery, unlike the deep veins, which are typically associated with an arte ...

of the

upper limb The upper limbs or upper extremities are the forelimbs of an upright-postured tetrapod vertebrate, extending from the scapulae and clavicles down to and including the digits, including all the musculatures and ligaments involved with the shoulde ...

that helps drain parts of the hand and

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 anat ...

. It originates on the medial (

ulna The ulna (''pl''. ulnae or ulnas) is a long bone found in the forearm that stretches from the elbow to the smallest finger, and when in anatomical position, is found on the medial side of the forearm. That is, the ulna is on the same side of t ...

r) side of the dorsal venous network of the hand and travels up the base of the forearm, where its course is generally visible through the skin as it travels in the subcutaneous fat and

fascia A fascia (; plural fasciae or fascias; adjective fascial; from Latin: "band") is a band or sheet of connective tissue, primarily collagen, beneath the skin that attaches to, stabilizes, encloses, and separates muscles and other internal organs. ...

lying superficial to the muscles. The basilic vein terminates by uniting with the

brachial veins In human anatomy, the brachial veins are venae comitantes of the brachial artery in the arm proper. Because they are deep to muscle, they are considered deep veins. Their course is that of the brachial artery (in reverse): they begin where r ...

to form the

axillary vein In human anatomy, the axillary vein is a large blood vessel that conveys blood from the lateral aspect of the thorax, axilla (armpit) and upper limb toward the heart. There is one axillary vein on each side of the body. Structure Its origin i ...

Anatomy

Course

As it ascends the medial side of the

biceps The biceps or biceps brachii ( la, musculus biceps brachii, "two-headed muscle of the arm") is a large muscle that lies on the front of the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow. Both heads of the muscle arise on the scapula and join ...

in the arm proper (between the elbow and shoulder), the basilic vein normally perforates the brachial fascia (

deep fascia Deep fascia (or investing fascia) is a fascia, a layer of dense connective tissue that can surround individual muscles and groups of muscles to separate into fascial compartments. This fibrous connective tissue interpenetrates and surrounds the m ...

) superior to the medial epicondyle, or even as high as mid-arm.

Tributaries and anastomoses

Near the region anterior to 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 ...

(in 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 media ...

joint), the basilic vein usually communicates with the

cephalic vein In human anatomy, the cephalic vein is a superficial vein in the arm. It originates from the radial end of the dorsal venous network of hand, and ascends along the radial (lateral) side of the arm before emptying into the axillary vein. At the ...

(the other large superficial vein of the upper extremity) via the

median cubital vein In human anatomy, the median cubital vein (or median basilic vein) is a superficial vein of the upper limb. It lies in the cubital fossa superficial to the bicipital aponeurosis. It connects the cephalic vein and the basilic vein. It becomes promi ...

. The layout of superficial veins in the forearm is highly variable from person to person, and there is a profuse network of unnamed superficial veins that the basilic vein communicates with. Around the inferior border of the

teres major The teres major muscle is a muscle of the upper limb. It attaches to the scapula and the humerus and is one of the seven scapulohumeral muscles. It is a thick but somewhat flattened muscle. The teres major muscle (from Latin ''teres'', meaning ...

muscle and just proximal to the basilic vein's termination, the anterior and posterior circumflex humeral veins drain into it.

Clinical significance

Venipuncture

Along with other superficial veins in the forearm, the basilic vein is an acceptable site for

venipuncture In medicine, venipuncture or venepuncture is the process of obtaining intravenous access for the purpose of venous blood sampling (also called ''phlebotomy'') or intravenous therapy. In healthcare, this procedure is performed by medical labo ...

. Nevertheless, IV nurses sometimes refer to the basilic vein as the "virgin vein", since with the arm typically

supinated Motion, the process of movement, is described using specific anatomical terms. Motion includes movement of organs, joints, limbs, and specific sections of the body. The terminology used describes this motion according to its direction relative ...

during

phlebotomy Phlebotomy is the process of making a puncture in a vein, usually in the arm, with a cannula for the purpose of drawing blood. The procedure itself is known as a venipuncture, which is also used for intravenous therapy. A person who performs a p ...

the basilic vein below the elbow becomes awkward to access, and is therefore infrequently used.

Venous grafts

Vascular surgeons Vascular surgery is a surgical subspecialty in which diseases of the vascular system, or arteries, veins and lymphatic circulation, are managed by medical therapy, minimally-invasive catheter procedures and surgical reconstruction. The specialty ...

sometimes utilize the basilic vein to create an AV (arteriovenous) fistula or AV graft for hemodialysis access in patients with

kidney failure Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...

Additional images

File:Gray413 color.png, Cross-section through the middle of upper arm File:Gray417 color.PNG, Cross-section through the middle of the forearm File:Basilic Vein of Forearm.jpg, Moderate-sized basilic vein of forearm (adult male): Estimated lumen diameter 6.5 mm. Anatomically typical branching pattern. File:Basilic Vein.jpg, Basilic vein, muscular right forearm. File:Basilic vein adolescent.jpg, alt=, Basilic vein, right forearm (adolescent).

External links

* *
Illustration

References

{{Authority control Anatomy Veins of the upper limb Human surface anatomy Cardiovascular system Circulatory system