Superficial course of the radial artery in the anatomical snuffbox and course of princeps pollicis and first dorsal metacarpal arteries

Abstract

Variations of the radial artery (RA), in its course and branching pattern in the anatomical snuffbox, are clinically significant during vascular and reconstructive surgeries of the hand. During the course of routine dissection of RA in the forearm and hand, an important variation was noted. In one of the cadaver RAs, at a short distance above the wrist, it gave superficial palmar artery and turned laterally passed superficial to the tendons to the thumb forming the boundaries of anatomical snuffbox and entered the hand by passing between two heads of the first dorsal interosseous muscle and terminated in the deep palmar arch. At the anatomical snuffbox, RA gave arteria princeps pollicis and first dorsal metacarpal arteries. The knowledge about this variation is to be noted carefully because this artery used as a graft during the cardiac surgery, which when missed might lead to many complications.