The palmar digital venous anatomy.

Fresh human cadaveric hands were injected with a liquid plastic polymer and dissected under the operating microscope. On the palmar aspect of the digits, four different venous patterns could be identified, characterized by their tributaries and branching pattern, and by the presence, position and direction of valves. Arborized veins drain a limited volume of tissue by a number of very slender vessels that come together to form a common trunk. Venous arches are found both superficial and deep, palmar and lateral; they neither branch nor have valves, except at both ends. Deep axial veins accompany the digital arteries as comitant veins. They drain to both the metacarpal comitant veins and the web space veins. Superficial axial veins run principally in the subdermal layer of the finger; they drain either directly to dorsal veins or to the natatory vein on the ligament of the same name.