Anterior interosseous artery

Anterior interosseous artery
Ulnar and radial arteries, deep view (volar interosseous labeled vertically at center)
Arteries in the elbow (anterior interosseous artery labelled as volar interosseous artery)
Details
Source	Common interosseous artery
Branches	Muscular branches, nutrient arteries of radius and ulna, branch to palmar carpal network
Supplies	Forearm including radius and ulna, flexor pollicis longus, flexor digitorum profundus, pronator quadratus
Identifiers
Latin	arteria interossea anterior, arteria interossea volaris
TA98	A12.2.09.048
TA2	4662
FMA	22810
Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

The anterior interosseous artery (volar interosseous artery) is an artery in the forearm.^[1] It is a branch of the common interosseous artery.

Course

It passes down the forearm on the palmar surface of the interosseous membrane.^[2]

It is accompanied by the palmar interosseous branch of the median nerve, and overlapped by the contiguous margins of the flexor digitorum profundus and flexor pollicis longus muscles, giving off in this situation muscular branches, and the nutrient arteries of the radius and ulna.

At the upper border of the pronator quadratus muscle it pierces the interosseous membrane and reaches the back of the forearm, where it anastomoses with the dorsal interosseous artery.

It then descends, in company with the terminal portion of the dorsal interosseous nerve, to the back of the wrist to join the dorsal carpal network.

The anterior interosseous artery may give off a slender branch, the median artery, which accompanies the median nerve, and gives offsets to its substance; this artery is sometimes much enlarged, and runs with the nerve into the palm of the hand.

Before it pierces the interosseous membrane the anterior interosseous sends a branch downward behind the pronator quadratus muscle to join the palmar carpal network.

Function

The anterior interosseous artery supplies the deep layer of the anterior compartment of the forearm, including the flexor digitorum profundus, flexor pollicis longus, and pronator quadratus muscles.

Additional images

• 
  Cross-section through the middle of the forearm.
• 
  Arteries of the back of the forearm and hand.
• 
  Anterior interosseous artery
• 
  Anterior interosseous artery
• 
  Anterior interosseous artery

See also

• Posterior interosseous artery
• Ulnar artery

References

1. Tubbs, R. Shane; Watanabe, K.; Loukas, Marios; Cohen-Gadol, A. A. (April 2013). "Use of the anterior interosseous artery for external to internal carotid artery bypass procedures: a cadaveric feasibility study". British Journal of Neurosurgery. 27 (6): 791–794. doi:10.3109/02688697.2013.786779. ISSN 0268-8697.
2. SañUdo, J. R.; Mirapeix, R. M.; Garcia, R.; Rodriguez-NidenfüNr, M. (April 1998). "A superficial ulnar artery anastomosing with a larger anterior interosseous artery to supply the wrist and hand". Journal of Anatomy. 192 (3): 439–441. doi:10.1017/S002187829800346X.

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 596 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

External links

• lesson4artofforearm at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University)
• Atlas image: hand_blood3 at the University of Michigan Health System - "Dorsum of the hand, deep dissection, posterior view"