Persistent Median Artery and Incomplete Mediano- ulnar Type of Superficial Palmar Arch - A Case Report and Review of Literature

Neurovascular variations in the upper limb are common and well-documented. The median artery is a transitory vessel that represents the arterial axis of the forearm during early embryonic life.Usually it disappears before the birth but may persist, when it is called persistent median artery.

Aim of study is to report an additional case of persistent median artery and to discuss its ontogeny, phlogeny and clinical implications.

Material for present study comprised of left upper limb of a 70 year old male cadaver which was dissected as per the recommended dissection methods.

A persistent median artery arising from anterior interosseus artery was seen in the forearm which passed deep to flexor retinaculum into the hand. There it gave rise to palmar digital branches, the lateral one for 1st and medial one for 2nd interdigital cleft and formed an incomplete type of mediano-ulnar superficial palmar arch (there was no communication between median and ulnar artery).

Persistent median artery is of immense importance during surgical exploration of the forearm and the hand. A surgeon operating in this area must be familiar with such kind of variations to prevent unwanted catastrophe.