Arterial patterns in the hand and pollicisation.

The arterial pattern of the human hand shows remarkable variations in so called normal individuals. In patients with congenital deformities of the hand there are also be variations based on embryonic disturbances. Therefore, the total pattern is complex. Successful transfer of fingers depends on an adequate blood supply. In some individuals there are variations in the patterns of blood supply which make a finger transfer more risky. Modern angiography makes the study of the arterial patterns of the hand possible. The authors state that angiography is essential in the pre-operative examination of a candidate for finger transfer. Three case histories illustrate this statement.