Venous anatomy of the thumb and thenar area

The venous anatomy of the thumb and the thenar area, including the first web space, was studied after injection of a polymerizing plastic resin into the vascular tree of six fresh human cadaveric specimens. As in the previously described parts of the hand and fingers, certain anatomical features were consistently present in all examined specimens. The topography of the vessels is different from that of veins in other parts of the hand, and we conclude that this reflects differences in mechanical demands upon the soft tissues in various parts of the hand and the digits.