Radial Artery

Description

• Is a continuation of the brachial artery.
• One of the major vessels supplying the structures of the forearm.
• It runs on the lateral aspect of the forearm

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Course

• It begins at the inferior portion of the cubital fossa.
• In the forearm, the radial artery runs along the medial aspect of the neck of the radius.
• Proximally, the artery lies deep to the brachioradialis muscle.
• Distally the artery is only covered by fascia and skin.
• The artery then runs across the floor of the anatomical snuffbox to the palm of the hand.

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Branches

• Muscular branches
• Radial recurrent artery
• Palmar carpal branch
• Dorsal carpal branch
• Superficial palmar branch
• Deep palmar branch
• First dorsal metacarpal artery
• Princeps pollicis artery
• Radialis indicis artery

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Clinical Significance

• Radial pulse is used to determine the heart rate.
• Allen’s Test

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See Also

• Anatomy Main

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