Ulnar artery

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Ulnar artery
Palm of (corrected) right hand, showing position of skin creases and bones, and surface markings for the volar arches.
Source Brachial artery
Branches Anterior ulnar recurrent artery
posterior ulnar recurrent artery
common interosseous artery (volar, dorsal)
muscular artery
volar carpal
dorsal carpal
deep volar
superficial volar arch
Vein Ulnar vein
Latin Arteria Ulnaris
MeSH A07.231.114.920
TA A12.2.09.041
FMA 22796
Anatomical terminology





Forearm: Anterior ulnar recurrent artery, Posterior ulnar recurrent artery, Common interosseous is very short around 1 cm and gives rise to both the anterior and posterior interosseous arteries and Close to the wrist it gives off the palmar carpal branch which is the ulnar contribution to the palmar carpal arch and it also gives a dorsal carpal branch which is the ulnar contribution to dorsal carpal arch

Hand: Deep palmar branch of ulnar artery which passes through the hypothenar muscles to anastomose with the deep palmar arch which is formed predominantly by the radial artery and the terminal branch of the ulnar artery is then to form the superficial palmar arch.


In its upper half, it is deeply seated, being covered by the Pronator teres, Flexor carpi radialis, Palmaris longus, and Flexor digitorum superficialis; it lies upon the Brachialis and Flexor digitorum profundus.


In the lower half of the forearm it lies upon the Flexor digitorum profundus, being covered by the integument and the superficial and deep fasciæ, and placed between the Flexor carpi ulnaris and Flexor digitorum superficialis.

It is accompanied by two venæ comitantes, and is overlapped in its middle third by the Flexor carpi ulnaris; the ulnar nerve lies on the medial side of the lower two-thirds of the artery, and the palmar cutaneous branch of the nerve descends on the lower part of the vessel to the palm of the hand.


At the wrist the ulnar artery is covered by the integument and the volar carpal ligament, and lies upon the Flexor retinaculum of the hand. On its medial side is the pisiform bone, and, somewhat behind the artery, the ulnar nerve.


The ulnar artery varies in its origin in the proportion of about one in thirteen cases; it may arise about 5 to 7 cm. below the elbow, but more frequently higher, the brachial being more often the source of origin than the axillary.

Variations in the position of this vessel are more common than in the radial. When its origin is normal, the course of the vessel is rarely changed.

When it arises high up, it is almost invariably superficial to the Flexor muscles in the forearm, lying commonly beneath the fascia, more rarely between the fascia and integument.

In a few cases, its position was subcutaneous in the upper part of the forearm, and subaponeurotic in the lower part.

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