[Anatomy of the hand arteries based on angiographic studies (author's transl)]

The authors report conclusions drawn from anatomical studies on ninety-two hand angiographies. The superficial and deep volar arcs were classified according to Coleman and Anson. The superficial arc was found to be incomplete in 66.3%, the deep arc in 9.8% of all cases. Variations in ramification of the digital arteries were divided in two groups, as they belonged to either the ulnar or the radial arterial system. In the view of the extreme variability of the arterial network, the authors warn against operations on the hand arteries without angiography.