European journal of molecular biology and biochemistry

STUDY OF THE LEVEL OF THE TERMINATION OF THE BRACHIAL ARTERY

Sharadkumar Pralhad Sawant*

drspsawant@gmail.com

Brachial artery, Superficial antebrachial artery, Superficial brachial artery, Superficial ulnar artery, Ulnar artery.

Aim to study the level of the termination of the brachial artery. 100 upper limbs of 50 donated embalmed cadavers (45 males & 5 females) of age group ranging from 70 to 80 years were dissected in the department of Anatomy at K. J. Somaiya Medical College, Sion, Mumbai, India. The variant level of the termination of the brachial artery was observed in 2 specimens. The neuro-mascular pattern in the arm was also observed. The photographs of the variant level of the termination of the brachial artery were taken for proper documentation. The variant levels of termination of the brachial artery were observed in 2 specimens. The brachial artery terminated in the cubital fossa into radial and common interosseous arteries. The radial artery had normal course and branches. The common interosseous artery was deeper and gave anterior and posterior ulnar recurrent arteries, and terminated into anterior and posterior interosseous arteries. The unusual large branch from the brachial artery was a variant of ulnar artery, arose from the lateral side of the brachial artery, descended on the lateral side up to the cubital fossa and crossed the fossa from lateral to medial, superficial to median nerve. It then descended superficial to the muscles arising from medial epicondyle of the humerus and was covered by the deep fascia of the forearm, pierced the deep fascia proximal to the wrist, crossed the flexor retinaculum, and formed the superficial palmar arch. Throughout its course, this artery gave no branch. There was no associated altered anatomy of the nerves observed in the specimen. The knowledge of presence of the unusual origin of the ulnar artery from the brachial artery in the axilla may be clinically important for clinicians, surgeons, orthopaedicians and radiologists performing angiographic studies.