A study of the superficial palmar arteries using the Doppler Ultrasonic Flowmeter.

The pattern of the superficial arteries of the hand has been studied utilising the Doppler Flowmeter technique. The superficial arteries of the hand formed several diversified patterns that permitted classification into well defined categories. The arcus palmaris superficialis was complete in 84% of the hands and incomplete in 16%. The arteria digitalis palmaris communis primus took origin from the arch in 94% and from the arterial radialis indicis in 6% of the hands. The arteria princeps pollicis and radialis indicis were quite variable in their origin and frequently differed from the normal textbook description. In 52% of the subjects, the arterial patterns in the right and left hand were different with respect to one or more arteries, while they were identical in 48% of the subjects. It would be unwise to base anything more than tentative conclusions on the data so far accumulated, because of the small population used in this project and the absence of similar studies in the literature.