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THE SUPERFICIAL VEINS OF THE UPPER EXTREMITY. 845 
THE SUPERFICIAL VEINS OF THE UPPER EXTREMITY. 
The superficial veins of the upper extremity commence in the superficial fascia 
of the palm and dorsum of the hand and of the fingers. 
The superficial veins of the palmar aspects of the fingers terminate for the 
most part in dorsal digital veins, which 
run along the dorso-lateral borders of the eg 
digits; some, however, pass upwards into we 
the palm and join the superficial palmar y, ey, 
veins, which, in comparison with the super-—* rf a 
ficial dorsal veins, are relatively few and / yy /, 
small. The superficial veins of the palm | wb 
anastomose together, forming a more or 
less polygonal plexus from which some 
efferent vessels pass laterally round the 
borders of the palm to the dorsal plexus 
of the hand, whilst others ascend towards Cephalic vein eN8 
the wrist, where they end either in the V | 
median or the anterior ulnar superficial 
veins of the forearm. 
The superficial veins on the dorsal 
aspect of each digit form two longitudinal 
vessels, the dorsal digital veins (vv. digitales 
dorsales propriz), which ascend along the Bec vee 
dorso-lateral borders of the digit. They 
receive tributaries from the palmar aspect 
of the digit, from the pulp of the tip, from Median cephalic vein 
the subungual tissues, and from the super- Median basilic vein 
ficial tissues of the dorsum. The dorsal 
digital veins, which run along the adjacent 
borders of the second, third, and fourth 
interdigital clefts, unite, at the apices of 
the clefts, to form three dorsal interosseous 
or interdigital veins (vv. metacarpe dor- 
sales), which terminate on the dorsum of 
the hand in a dorsal venous arch or dorsal 
venous plexus; the radial or outer vein of 
the index-finger ends in the same arch. 
The dorsal venous arch of the hand 
receives not only the dorsal interosseous 
or interdigital veins, and the radial digital 
vein of the index-finger, but also numerous 
tributaries from the superficial tissues of 
the dorsum of the hand, which anastomose 
frequently together and form a plexiform 
network. The arch les opposite the lower 
parts of the shafts of the four inner meta- 
carpal bones, and terminates at its radial 
end in the superficial radial vein, and at 
its ulnar end in the posterior or dorsal 
ulnar vein; the dorsal digital veins of the 
thumb open into the superficial radial 
vein, and the innermost or ulnar digital 
vein of the little finger ends in the posterior 
superficial ulnar vein. Bisset Rtgs el) 401 oe i, 
: : Fic. 585.—SuPERFICIAL VEINS ON THE FLEXOR 
f Superficial Veins of the Forearm.— ASPECT OF THE UPPER EXTREMITY. 
There are four main superficial venous 
trunks in the forearm—viz. the median, the radial, and the anterior and posterior 
ulnar veins. 
Median vein 
Deep median vein 
Posterior ulnar vein 
Radial veinsf 
Anterior ulnar vein 
Palmar plexus 
