RADIAL ARTERY. 327 



brachial, at about two inches above the joint. It passes directly in- 

 wards, and divides into two branches which inosculate with the ante- 

 rior and posterior ulnar recurrent arteries and with the inferior pro- 

 funda. 



The Muscular branches are distributed to the muscles in the course 

 of the artery, viz. to the coraco-brachialis, biceps, deltoid, brachialis 

 auticus and triceps. 



Varieties of the brachial Artery. The most frequent peculiarity 

 in the distribution of branches from this artery is the high division of 

 the radial, which arises generally from about the upper third of the 

 brachial artery, and descends to its normal position at the bend of the 

 elbow. The ulnar artery sometimes arises from the brachial at about 

 two inches above the elbow, and pursues either a superficial or deep 

 course to the wrist ; and, in more than one instance, I have seen the 

 interosseous artery arise from the brachial a little above the bend of 

 the elbow. The two profunda arteries occasionally arise by a common 

 trunk, or there may be two superior profundae. 



RADIAL ARTERY. 



The Radial artery, one of the divisions of the brachial, appears from 

 its direction to be the continuation of that trunk. It runs along the 

 radial side of the fore-arm, from the bend of the elbow to the wrist ; 

 it there turns around the base of the thumb, beneath its extensor 

 tendons, and passes between the two heads of the first dorsal in- 

 terosseous muscle, into the palm of the hand. It then crosses the 

 metacarpal bones to the ulnar side of the hand, forming the deep 

 palmar arch, and terminates by inosculating with the superficial 

 palmar arch. 



In the upper half of its course, the radial artery is situated between 

 the supinator longus muscle, by which it is overlapped superiorly, and 

 the pronator radii teres ; in the lower half, between the tendons of 

 the supinator longus and flexor carpi radialis. It rests in its course 

 downwards, upon the supinator brevis, pronator radii teres, radial 

 origin of the flexor sublimis, flexor longus pollicis, and pronator qua- 

 dratus; and is covered in by the integument and fascia?. At the 

 wrist it is situated in contact with the dorsal carpal ligaments and 

 beneath the extensor tendons of the thumb ; and, in the palm of the 

 hand, beneath the flexor tendons. It is accompanied by venae comites 

 throughout its course, and by its middle third is in close relation with 

 the radial nerve. 



profunda. 14. The superficialis volae. 15, The ulnar artery. 16. Its super- 

 ficial palmar arch giving; off digital branches to three fingers and a half. 17. 

 The magna pollicis and radialis indicis arteries. 18. The posterior ulnar recur- 

 rent. 19. The anterior interosseous artery. 20. The posterior interosseous, as 

 it is passing through the interosseous membrane. 



