Arteria ulnaris

Arteria Ulnaris is a major artery in the forearm that supplies blood to the muscles of the forearm and hand. It is one of the two main branches of the brachial artery, the other being the arteria radialis.

Anatomy

The arteria ulnaris originates from the brachial artery in the cubital fossa, at the level of the neck of the radius. It runs down the forearm on the medial side, lying deep to the flexor muscles of the forearm and adjacent to the ulna. At the wrist, it passes superficial to the flexor retinaculum and ends in the superficial palmar arch.

Branches

The arteria ulnaris gives off several branches along its course:

• Anterior ulnar recurrent artery: This branch arises near the origin of the ulnar artery and supplies the anterior part of the elbow joint.
• Posterior ulnar recurrent artery: This branch arises slightly distal to the anterior ulnar recurrent artery and supplies the posterior part of the elbow joint.
• Common interosseous artery: This branch arises near the origin of the ulnar artery and divides into the anterior and posterior interosseous arteries, which supply the deep muscles of the forearm.
• Palmar carpal branch: This branch arises near the wrist and anastomoses with the palmar carpal branch of the arteria radialis to form the palmar carpal arch.
• Superficial palmar branch: This branch arises at the wrist and forms the superficial palmar arch, which supplies the palmar surface of the hand.

Clinical significance

The arteria ulnaris is an important artery in the forearm and hand, and its patency is crucial for adequate blood supply to these regions. Conditions such as ulnar artery thrombosis or ulnar artery aneurysm can lead to ischemia and tissue necrosis. In addition, the ulnar artery is often used as a site for arterial puncture in procedures such as arterial blood gas analysis or arterial line placement.

See also

• Arteria radialis
• Brachial artery
• Ulnar artery thrombosis
• Ulnar artery aneurysm