Superficial palmar branch of the radial artery

Superficial palmar branch of radial artery
Palm of left hand, showing position of skin creases and bones, and surface markings for the volar arches.
Details
Source	radial artery
Branches	superficial palmar arch
Identifiers
Latin	ramus palmaris superficialis arteriae radialis
TA	A12.2.09.031
FMA	22752
Anatomical terminology []

The superficial palmar branch of the radial artery arises from the radial artery, just where this vessel is about to wind around the lateral side of the wrist.

Running forward, it passes through, occasionally over, the thenar muscles, which it supplies, and sometimes anastomoses with the terminal portion of the ulnar artery, completing the superficial palmar arch.

This vessel varies considerably in size: usually it is very small, and ends in the muscles of the thumb; sometimes it is as large as the continuation of the radial artery itself.

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 594 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)