A Morphological Study of the Superficial Palmar Arch in Human Foetuses of Manipuri Origin

Abstract

Introduction: The study of superficial palmar arch (SPA) and its variation in human foetuses has been rarely reported .Superficial palmar arch is defined in textbooks as an arterial arcade that lies superficial in the palmar compartment in contact with the deep surface of the palmar aponeurosis. It is formed by the direct continuation of the ulnar artery beyond the flexor retinaculum. It is often not a complete arch, but it is complete if it becomes continuous with the superficial palmar branch of the radial artery. Superficial and deep palmar arch are the main source of blood supply to the structures of the hand and they are commonly subjected to significant variations. The present study therefore was done in order to see the morphological variants in human foetuses and compare with the findings of the previous workers. Materials and Methods: The study included 40 hands of foetuses both right and left obtained from the department of obstetrics and gynaecology, RIMS, Imphal. Study was conducted after clearance from the ethics committee. 20 foetuses ranging from 14 weeks to 40 weeks free from any malformations were dissected after fixing with 10% formalin. Results: Among our specimens, 87.5% showed incomplete arch whereas in 2.5% complete type of morphology was observed. In 5% cases there was complete absence of SPA on both the sides and in 2.5% cases there was presence of median artery on the right side and the median artery takes part in the formation of SPA after joining the ulnar artery. Conclusion: The present study has highlighted some of the variations of superficial palmar arch that we usually may come across and will be of immense help for clinicians, plastic surgeons in their reconstructive surgeries and in case of arterial repairs in children and adults.