The abnormal origin, course and the distribution of the arteries of the upper limb: A case report

The knowledge on the arterial variations in the arm is of importance for a clinician, as it is a frequent site of injury and as it is also involved in many surgical and invasive procedures. During the routine dissection classes for medical students, we came across the multiple arterial variations in the right upper limb of an approximately 45-year-old male cadaver. The brachial artery was very short, and it terminated by dividing into the radial and the ulnar arteries in the upper part of the arm. The radial collateral, the middle collateral and the superior ulnar collateral arteries arose from a common trunk. This common trunk originated from the proximal part of the brachial artery. The ulnar artery was the lateral branch and the radial artery was the medial branch of the brachial artery at their point of origin. The radial artery had a tortuous course, and it crossed the ulnar artery from the medial to the lateral side in the middle third of the arm. The ulnar artery gave anterior and posterior interosseous arteries and a common trunk that divided into the anterior and the posterior ulnar recurrent arteries in the cubital fossa. The knowledge on these variations is very useful for radiologists and surgeons.