Superficial Ulnar Artery Crossing Over the Palmaris Longus Tendon at the Wrist in a Cadaver: A Case Report

Superficial ulnar artery (SUA) is defined as arterial variation of an ulnar artery of high origin that lies superficially in the forearm. Because an SUA may be mistaken for a superficial vein, there is a risk of arterial damage. During routine dissection of the cadaver, we incidentally detected a case of unilateral SUA in the left arm. SUA arose from the axillary artery and descended superficial to the axillary artery and median nerve. At the wrist, the SUA crossed over palmaris longus (PL) tendon from the radial side to the ulnar side. In this cadaver, the PL tendon was located on the ulnar side and was thicker than the flexor carpi radialis tendon. Clinicians should check for the presence of SUA before any technical procedure, because lack of awareness of its presence can have serious consequences.