Bilateral superficial ulnar arteries with an unusual arterial arch in the forearmthe

Nachiket Shankar

Abstract

The superficial ulnar artery is a rare variant of the ulnar artery. It usually arises higher up, either in the axilla or the arm, and runs a superficial course in the forearm before entering the hand. During routine dissection of an elderly male cadaver, superficial ulnar arteries were seen bilaterally. On the left side, the artery arose from the junction of the upper and middle one third of the brachial artery. It arose from the 3rd part of the axillary artery on the right side. On this side, an arterial arch connecting the superficial ulnar artery and radial artery was observed in the forearm. Bilaterally, the brachial artery terminated in the cubital fossa by giving off the radial and the common interosseous arteries. An arterial arch connecting the superficial ulnar artery and the radial artery in the forearm has not been reported previously. The presence of a superficial ulnar artery has important clinical implications.