SUPERFICIAL COURSE OF THE ULNAR ARTERY

Abstract

Variation of the ulnar artery in the upper limb is uncommon. The existence of such a variant is of particular clinical signicance, as these arteries are more susceptible to trauma, and can be easily confused with supercial veins during medical and surgical procedures, potentially leading to iatrogenic distal limb ischemia. It has been reported that ulnar artery is a calculable anatomic variation as long as its possible presence is considered during ap harvesting and in such cases; the use of ulnar artery ap is an easy and safe alternative. By careful palpation or by using vascular doppler, the presence of ulnar artery and its course can be diagnosed preoperatively and accidental division of these vessels during the raising of the radial forearm ap can be avoided.