Persistent median artery: an anatomical study in neonatal and adult cadavers

To examine the association of the median artery with the median nerve, 110 forearms from 20 neonatal and 35 adult cadavers of Turkish populations were dissected and compared with those of adult cadavers. In neonatal cadavers, the persistent median artery was found unilaterally in 5 (12.5%) forearms, in 4 of which the artery arose from the ulnar artery and in one from the common interosseous artery. In adult cadavers, however, no persistent median artery was observed. From these results, it could be suggested that this artery undergoes regression even after birth.