Radial artery

The radial artery (a. radialis) begins 1-3 cm distal to the cleft of the brachioradialis joint and continues the direction of the brachial artery. Initially, the radial artery lies between the pronator teres and the brachioradialis muscle, and in the lower third of the forearm it is covered only by fascia and skin, so its pulsation is easy to feel here. In the distal part of the forearm, the radial artery, having curved around the styloid process of the radius, passes to the back of the hand, and then through the first interosseous space penetrates the palm. The terminal part of the radial artery anastomoses with the deep palmar branch of the ulnar artery, forming the deep palmar (arterial) arch (arcus palmaris profundus). From this arch, the palmar metacarpal arteries (aa. metacarpales palmares) originate, supplying blood to the interosseous muscles. These arteries flow into the common palmar digital arteries (branches of the superficial palmar arch) and give off perforating branches (rr.perforantes), anastomosing with the dorsal metacarpal arteries, which branch off from the dorsal network of the wrist.

From the radial artery along its length, from 9 to 2 branches depart, including muscular branches. The most significant of them are the following:

1. the radial recurrent artery (a.recurrens radialis) departs from the initial section of the radial artery, is directed laterally and upward, passes through the anterior lateral ulnar groove, where it anastomoses with the radial collateral artery;
2. The superficial palmar branch (r. palmaris superficialis) departs from the radial artery at the level of the base of the styloid process of the radius, is directed to the palm along the surface of the muscles of the eminence of the thumb or pierces them. In the thickness of the muscles of the eminence of the thumb or inward from its short flexor, it participates in the formation of the superficial palmar arch:
3. The palmar carpal branch (r. carpalis palmaris) originates from the radial artery in the distal part of the forearm, at the level of the lower edge of the quadrate pronator. This branch then goes medially, where it anastomoses with the same branch of the ulnar artery and participates in the formation of the palmar rete of the wrist;
4. the dorsal carpal branch (r. carpalis dorsalis) originates from the radial artery on the back of the hand, goes medially, anastomoses with the branch of the ulnar artery of the same name, forming together with the branches of the interosseous arteries the dorsal carpal network (rete carpale dorsale). From this network 3-4 dorsal metacarpal arteries (aa. metacarpales dorsales) depart, and from each of them - two dorsal digital arteries (aa. digitales dorsales), supplying blood to the back of the II-V fingers;
5. on the back of the hand, from the radial artery, at the place where it enters the thickness of the first interosseous muscle, the first dorsal metacarpal artery (a. metacarpalis dorsalis prima) separates, which gives off branches to the radial side of the 1 finger and to the adjacent sides of the 1st and 2nd fingers;
6. Having entered the palm, the radial artery gives off the artery of the thumb (a.princeps pollicis), which splits into two palmar digital arteries to both sides of the thumb and gives off the radial artery of the index finger (a.radialis indicis).

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