544 



THE BLOOD- VASCULAR SYSTEM. 



joins the posterior carpal branch of the ulnar artery. This artery gives off, near 



its origin, the interosseous recurrent branch. 



The interosseous recurrent artery is a large vessel which ascends to the interval 



between the external condyle 

 and olecranon, on or through the 

 fibres of the Supinator brevis, 

 but beneath the Anconeus, smas- 

 tomosing with a branch from the 

 superior profunda, and with the 



Anastomoiica 

 magna 



- Descending branch from 

 superior profunda. 



Posterior ulnat 

 recurrent. 



Posterior interosseous. 



Posterior carpal 

 (ulnar). 



posterior ulnar recurrent and 

 anastomotica magna. 



The muscular branches are 

 distributed to the muscles along 

 the ulnar side of the forearm. 



The anterior carpal is a small 

 vessel which crosses the front 

 of the carpus beneath the ten- 

 dons of the Flexor profundus, 

 and inosculates with a corre- 

 sponding branch of the radial 

 artery. 



The posterior carpal arises 

 immediately above the pisiform 



tf 



bone, and winds backward be- 

 neath the tendon of the Flexor 

 carpi ulnaris : it passes across 

 the dorsal surface of the carpus 

 beneath the extensor tendons, 

 anastomosing with a correspond- 

 ing branch o.f the radial artery, 

 and forming the posterior carpal 

 arch. Immediately after its 

 origin it gives off a small branch 

 which runs along the ulnar side 

 of the metacarpal bone of the 

 little finger, forming one of the 

 metacarpal arteries, and sup- 

 plies the ulnar side of the dorsal 

 surface of the little finger. 



The branch to the deep pal- 

 mar arch (deep or communicating 

 branch) (Fig. 305) passes deeply 

 inward between the Abductor 

 minimi digiti arid Flexor brevis 

 minimi digiti, near their origins ; 

 it anastomoses with the termina- 

 tion of the radial artery, com- 

 pleting the deep palmar arch. 



The continuation of the 

 trunk of the ulnar artery in the 

 hand forms the greater part of 

 the superficial palmar arch. 



The Superficial Palmar Arch (Fig. 304). 



The Superficial Palmar Arch is formed by the ulnar artery in the hand, and is 

 completed on the outer side by this vessel anastomosing with a branch from the 

 radialis indicis, though sometimes the arch is completed by the ulnar anastomosing 



Termination of an- 

 terior interosseous. 



Posterior carpal 

 (radial). 



Radial. 



.Dorsalis pollicis. 

 Dorsalis indicis. 



FIG. 306. Arteries of the back of the forearm and hand. 



