The arterial anatomy of the human carpus. Part I: The extraosseous vascularity.

The vascular anatomy of the wrist was studied in 25 fresh cadaver limbs by injection and chemical debridement techniques. The extraosseous arterial pattern was formed by an anastomotic network of three dorsal and three palmar arches connected longitudinally at their medial and lateral borders by the ulnar and radial arteries. Additional longitudinal anastomoses were provided by the dorsal and palmar branches of the anterior interosseous artery. The most distal of the palmar arches was the deep palmar arch, formed by the anastomosis of the radial artery and the deep palmar branch of the ulnar artery. Two recurrent arteries, one radial and one ulnar, were consistently seen arising from the concavity of this arch, traversing proximally to frequently anastomose with the terminal branches of the anterior division of the anterior interosseous artery. This anastomosis provided the major collateral circulation about the wrist.