Eur J Anat, 7 (S1): 21-28 (2003)

Arterial patterns of the human upper limb: Update of anatomical variations and embryological development

Rodriguez-Niedenfuhr M., Vazquez T., Parkin I.G., Sanudo J.R.

Unit of Anatomy and Embryology, School of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Unitat d'Anatomia i Embriologia, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, 08193-Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain

ABSTRACT The arterial pattern of the upper limb is one of the systems that shows a large number of variations in the adult human body. However, embryological explanations for these variations have been subject to much debate. Recent studies have provided a new classification of the arterial variations in the upper limb, as well as a new model of arterial development based on the study of large anatomical and embryological samples. In the present article, we offer a review of the embryological and morphological data obtained in adults, contrasting them with those found in a new sample of adult material.

Keywords: anatomical variation, angiogenesis, arm, arm blood flow, brachial artery, classification, embryo, embryo development, forearm, human, model, review, ulnar artery