ESTUDIO BIOMETRICO DE LA RAMA PALMAR PROFUNDA DE LA ARTERIA ULNAR Translated title: BIOMETRIC STUDY ON THE DEEP PALMAR BRANCH OF THE ULNAR ARTERY

Translated abstract

Numerous studies on the hand arterial supply have contributed important data for the reconstructive surgery of it. With the aim of contribute to the knowledge of their arteries, we performed a biometric study of the deep palmar branch of the ulnar artery (DPB) in 60 hands from 30 cadavers of brazilian adult individuals of both sexs. The arteries were injected with latex neoprene. The DPB arose from a common branch with the hipothenar muscles branch in 46.7% of the cases; independently from the ulnar artey in 11.7%; from the ulnar proper palmar digital artery of the little finger in 15 % and from the common palmar digital artery of the fourth interosseous space in 6.7 %. In the first disposition, the common branch arose 10.6 ± 4.7 mm distal to the distal wrist crease (DWC) in female and 12.2 ± 4.1 mm in male; in second disposition the DPB origin was 33.6 ± 4.1 mm distal to the DWC in male; in third disposition it originated 35.8 ± 2.88 mm distal to the DWC in male and in last, it originated 41.0 ± 3.54 mm distal to the DWC. In 18.3% of the all cases we observed two DPB and in 1.7% it was no present. The caliber of these vessels were registrated. The DPB is important in hand arterial supply due to form a part of the deep palmar arch and sometimes, in presence of the thrombosis of the radial artery, it can carry the necessary blood to the deep palmar and dorsal regions