Quick Facts
Origin: Superficial palmar arch.
Course: Superiorly along the forearm.
Tributaries: No named tributaries.
Drainage: Palmar aspect of the hand and anterior forearm.
Origin
The median antebrachial vein arises from the superficial veins of the palmar aspect of the hand.
Course
The median antebrachial vein courses superiorly and drains into the median cubital vein or directly into the basilic vein. However, in up to a quarter of individuals, it may divide distal to the elbow where one branch joins the cephalic vein and the other joins the basilic vein (Tubbs et al., 2016, Standring, 2016).
Tributaries
There are no named tributaries.
Structures Drained
The median antebrachial vein contributes to the venous drainage of the palmar aspect of the hand and anterior forearm.
List of Clinical Correlates
- Intravenous injections
- Blood sampling
- Venipuncture
References
Standring, S. (2016) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Gray's Anatomy Series 41 edn.: Elsevier Limited.
Tubbs, R. S., Shoja, M. M. and Loukas, M. (2016) Bergman's Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation. Wiley.
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