Arterial patterns in the hand based on a three-dimensional analysis of 220 cadaver hands

Three-dimensional analysis of 220 cadaveric hands to the submacroscopic level was done with clear stereoscopic arteriographs. The superficial palmar arch could be grouped into complete (96.4%) and incomplete (3.6%) arches. The complete arch was divided into four types on the basis of the terminal formation of the deep palmar arch. In the deep palmar arch, the complete arch was seen in 76.9% of the hands. This rate was smaller than that in other reports. The second dorsal metacarpal artery was seen in 92%. With regard to formation of the deep palmar arch, half of all the cases exhibited collateral pathways for the palmar side from the dorsum, sometimes the main arterial source of the deep palmar arch. The blood supply of the thumb comes mainly from the princeps pollicis artery, the terminal branch of the superficial palmar arch, and the first dorsal metacarpal artery, which originates from the radial artery or from different combinations of these arteries. The arteries of the thumb are classified by their anatomic course. The princeps pollicis artery (first palmar metacarpal artery) was absent in 2.4%.