The anterior compartment of the forearm - neuromuscular pattern and vessels (dave's notes) Flashcards
How does the brachial artery enter the forearm?
By passing into the cubital fossa?
What runs down each side of the forearm? How are the arteries related to these structures?
A nerve runs down each side. The brachial divides into unbar and radial arteries which approach but never reach the nerves.
What is the arterial supply of the forearm? What does this divide into?
The common interosseous branch of the ulnar artery, which divides into posterior and anterior interosseous branches.
What is the course of the radial artery in the forearm?
What overlaps it in the upper part of the forearm?
This passes medial to the biceps tendon, across supinator, over the insertion of PT, FDS, and FPL.
Passes deep to the tendons of APL and EPB to cross the snuffbox.
Brachioradialis
What structure of significance is related to the radial artery in the middle third of the forearm?
The radial nerve is lateral to the radial artery here
What are the surface markings of the radial artery?
The radial artery is convex laterally from medial to the biceps tendon in the cubital fossa to a point medial to the styloid process
What is the course of the ulnar artery? What lies medial?
From the cubital fossa it passes deep to PT and FDS near the median nerve, then lies on FDP. The ulnar nerve lies medially.
What are the surface markings of the ulnar artery?
Runs from the medial side of the biceps tendon to the radial side of pisiform.
What is the common interosseous artery a branch of? What becomes of it?
The ulnar artery. Divides into anterior and posterior.
What is the course of the anterior interosseous artery? What branches does it give off?
The AIO artery lies deeply in IOM between FDP and FPL, perforating branches pierce the IOM to supply the deep extensor muscles.
Nutrient vessels are given to the radius and ulna
The artery passes through the IOM
What is the course of the posterior IO artery?
Passes backwards through the IOM
What arteries supply the elbow anastomosis?
Radial, ulnar, and IO arteries running up and anastomosing with the descending branches of profunda brachii
What artery supplies the radius and ulna?
Nutrient vessels to the radius and ulnar are from branches of the anterior interosseous artier, from the common interosseous, from the ulnar artery.
What arteries supply the wrist’s arterial anastomosis?
Anterior and posterior carpal branches from radius and ulnar, forming the carpal arches.
Where is the anterior carpal arch found? With what does it anastomose?
Lies transversely across the wrist joint supplying carpal bones and sends branches distally into the hand to anastomose with the deep palmar arch.
Where is the posterior carpal arch found?
Lies transversely across the distal row of carpals, sends dorsal metacarpal arteries distally into each metacarpal space.
What is the significance of the anterior and posterior carpal arch anastomoses?
Free anastomoses between radius and ulnar arteries
Describe the general venous drainage of the forearm
Deep veins are plentiful and accompany arteries as venue comitantes
Where does blood from the palm of the hand drain to first?
The dorsum of the hand
Where does blood from the radial side drain to? What is the course of that vein?
Via the cephalic vein from the snuffbox along the pre axial border
Where does blood from the ulnar side drain to? What is the course of this vein?
The basilic vein running up the post axial border piercing the deep fascia halfway between the elbow and axilla
What does the median forearm drain? To where?
From the wrist and forearm, dividing into median cephalic and median basilic
Which is most easy to cannulate, and why?
The median cephalic vein is much less mobile (although smaller) and thus easier to cannulate.
