Princeps pollicis artery

Princeps pollicis artery
Palm of left hand, showing position of skin creases and bones, and surface markings for the volar arches.
Details
Source	Radial artery
Supplies	Thumb
Identifiers
Latin	Arteria princeps pollicis
TA	A12.2.09.036
FMA	22762
Anatomical terminology []

The princeps pollicis artery, or principal artery of the thumb, arises from the radial artery just as it turns medially towards the deep part of the hand; it descends between the first dorsal interosseous muscle and the oblique head of the adductor pollicis, along the medial side of the first metacarpal bone to the base of the proximal phalanx, where it lies beneath the tendon of the flexor pollicis longus muscle and divides into two branches.

These make their appearance between the medial and lateral insertions of the adductor pollicis, and run along the sides of the thumb, forming an arch on the palmar surface of the distal phalanx, from which branches are distributed to the integument and subcutaneous tissue of the thumb.

The radial and ulnar arteries. (Arteria princeps pollicis visible at lower left.)

Ulnar and radial arteries. Deep view.

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)