Frequency, variation, and structure of the median artery in a cadaver sample from New Mexico

Abstract

The median artery is presently understood to be an embryonic structure, which typically begins to regress around the 8th week of intrauterine life. However, this artery can sometimes persist well into adulthood. It can exist as one of two types, forearm or palmar, which is determined by the site of termination. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of the persistent median artery in a sample size of 41 cadavers from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine Anatomy Lab. Additionally, site of origin and termination were recorded. Out of 82 forearms from 41 cadavers, the persistent median artery was observed in eight (9.75%). Of these, five (62.5%) were determined to be the forearm type and three (37.5%) the palmar type. The artery was present bilaterally in only one case (12.5%). The most common site of origin was the common interosseus artery (5; 62.5%), followed by the ulnar artery (2; 25%), and the anterior interosseus artery (1; 12.5%). The persistent median artery was present in close to 10% of this population, which is a lower prevalence than observed in other similar studies. Presence of the persistent median artery is relevant to health care providers and worth considering due to role it may play in conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, as it would reduce the available space inside this pathway.