Quick Facts
Origin: Dorsal digital veins.
Course: Proximally, along dorsal aspect of the metacarpals.
Tributaries: Perforating branches from the palmar metacarpal veins.
Drainage: Hand.
Origin
The dorsal metacarpal veins arise from the unification of adjacent dorsal digital veins.
Course
The dorsal metacarpal veins run between the interosseous spaces in a proximal direction. They drain into the dorsal venous network of the hand (Moore et al., 2013).
Tributaries
The dorsal metacarpal veins, which accompany the dorsal metacarpal arteries, receive perforating branches from the palmar metacarpal veins (Standring, 2016).
Structures Drained
The dorsal metacarpal veins contribute to the venous drainage of the hand.
References
Moore, K. L., Dalley, A. F. and Agur, A. M. R. (2013) Clinically Oriented Anatomy. Clinically Oriented Anatomy 7th edn.: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Standring, S. (2016) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Gray's Anatomy Series 41 edn.: Elsevier Limited.
