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Vascularized Composite Hand Allograft Procurement and Preparation for Distal and Proximal Forearm Allotransplantation: A Stepwise Approach
Published on: May 23, 2025
Dynamic arteries of the hand
Morris Ritz1, Sanjay Mahendru, Mark Smyth
1The Melbourne Institute of Plastic Surgery, Malvern, Melbourne, VIC, 3144, Australia.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy : SRA
|November 28, 2008
Summary
Ulnar artery occlusion can occur when making a fist in asymptomatic individuals, impacting hand blood flow. This finding is crucial for interpreting diagnostic tests for vascular conditions.
Area of Science:
- Vascular biology
- Diagnostic imaging
- Clinical anatomy
Background:
- Idiopathic ulnar-sided hand pain prompted investigation into ulnar artery behavior during fist clenching.
- A previously undescribed phenomenon of ulnar artery occlusion upon fist clenching was observed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the occurrence and characteristics of ulnar artery occlusion during fist clenching in asymptomatic individuals.
- To assess the implications of these findings for vascular diagnostics.
Main Methods:
- Color duplex ultrasonography was used to examine 91 radial and ulnar arteries in 23 asymptomatic volunteers (ages 18-78).
- Participants included 10 males and 13 females.
Main Results:
- Twenty-two percent of ulnar arteries occluded upon fist clenching, with the hand relying solely on radial artery inflow.
- Eleven percent of superficial palmar branches of radial arteries also occluded during fist-making.
- All arteries reopened after fist release, demonstrating normal anterograde flow; simultaneous occlusion of both radial and ulnar arteries did not occur.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights the potential for normal ulnar artery occlusion during fist clenching, which could lead to false-positive results in ultrasonography.
- Findings are relevant to understanding conditions like Raynaud's phenomenon and scleroderma.
- Clinical interpretation of ulnar artery assessments requires consideration of this physiological response.
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