NIVEL DE ORIGEN Y CONTRIBUCION DE LAS ARTERIAS METACARPIANAS PALMARES A LA FORMACION DE LAS ARTERIAS DIGITALES PALMARES

summary: the purpose of this study was contribute with more anatomical details about the palmar metacarpal arteries (pma), which are originated in the deep palmar arch. we studied these arteries in 60 hands from 30 cadavers of adult brazilian individuals, of both sexes. the cadavers belong to the universidade federal de s？o paulo, brazil. the hand arteries were injected with red stained latex neoprene. we found 4 pma in 38 cases (63.3%), 3 pma in 12 (20%), 5 pma in 7 (11.7%). the pma anastomosed with the common or proper palmar digital arteries in 38.5%. the second pma formed partial or totally to the palmar digital arteries in 42 cases (45.7 % or 17.6% of the total arteries). this pma corresponded to the radialis indicis artery in 16 cases (26.7% of the studied hands). in 83.3% of the hands, one or various pma participated in the formation of the palmar digital arteries. the pma supply mainly the deep palmar region but also they are very important in the formation of the palmar digital arteries, which irrigate the superficial region.