

294 



RADIAL AKTEKYT BRANCHES. 



Fijr. 107.* 



the wrist. It passes between the fibres of the abductor pollicis 

 muscle, and inosculates with the termination of the ulnar artery, 

 completing the superficial palmar arch. This 

 artery is very variable in size, being some- 

 times as large as the continuation of the 

 radial, and at other times a mere muscular 

 ramusculus, or entirely wanting ; when of 

 large size it supplies the palmar side of the 

 thumb and the radial side of the index 

 finger. 



The Carpal branches are intended for the 

 supply of the wrist, the anterior carpal in 

 front, and the posterior, the larger of the 

 two, behind. The carpalis posterior crosses 

 the carpus transversely to the ulnar border 

 of the hand, where it inosculates with the 

 posterior carpal branch of the ulnar artery. 

 Superiorly it sends branches which inoscu- 

 late with the termination of the anterior 

 interosseous artery; inferiorly, it gives off 

 posterior interosseous branches, which anas- 

 tomose with the perforating branches of the 

 deep palmar arch, and then run forwards 

 upon the dorsal interossei muscles. 



The Metacarpal branch runs forwards 

 on the second dorsal interosseous muscle, 

 and inosculates with the digital branch of 

 the superficial palmar arch, which supplies 

 the adjoining sides. of the index and middle 

 fingers. Sometimes it is of large size, and 

 the true continuation of the radial artery. 



The Dorsales pollicis are two small 

 branches which run along the sides of the 

 dorsal aspect of the thumb. 



The Princeps pollicis descends along the border of the metacarpal 

 bone, between the abductor indicis and adductor pollicis to the base 

 of the first phalanx, where it divides into two branches, which are 

 distributed to the two sides of the palmar aspect of the thumb. 



* The arteries of the fore-arm. 1. The lower part of the biceps muscle. 2. The 

 inner condyle of the humerus with the humeral origin of the pronator radii teres and 

 flexor carpi radialis divided across. 3. The deep portion of the pronator radii teres. 

 4. The supinator longus muscle. 5. The flexor longus pollicis. 6. The pronator 

 quadratus. 7. The flexor profundus digitorum. 8. The flexor carpi ulnaris. 9. The 

 annular ligament with the tendons passing beneath it into the palm of the hand ; the 

 figure is placed on the tendon of the palmaris longus muscle, divided close to its inser- 

 tion. 10. The brachial artery. 11. The anastomotica magna inosculating superiorly 

 with the inferior profunda, and inferiorly with the anterior ulnar recurrent. 12. The 

 radial artery. 13. The radial recurrent artery inosculating with the termination of 

 the superior profunda. 14. The superficial vohe. J5. The ulnar artery. 16. Its 

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

 The magna pollicis and radialis indicis arteries. 18. The posterior ulnar recurrent. 

 19. The anterior interosseous artery. 20. The posterior interosseous, as it is passing 

 through the interosseous membrane. 



