Variant formation and branching pattern of superficial palmar arch in a human cadaver: a case report

Superficial palmar arch (SPA) is a dominant vascular structure in the palmar region that provides a major blood supply to fingers. Present case describes a rare formation and branching pattern of SPA in a formalin fixed cadaveric left hand. In this case, SPA was formed by the anastomoses between radial artery (RA) and the superficial brachioulnar artery (SBUA), which is defined as an ulnar artery with a high origin in the arm. More interestingly, unlike classic literature, SPA sends out six branches instead of four, and the principle artery of thumb arises directly from SPA instead of RA. The aforementioned variations have rarely been reported in previous literature and demonstrate important clinical significance for accidental intra-arterial injections, errors in blood pressure readings, as well as orthopedic, plastic and vascular surgeries of the upper limbs.