ABSTRACT
The principal arteries of the upper limb show a wide range of variation that is of considerable interest to orthopaedic surgeons, plastic surgeons, radiologists and anatomists. The superficial and high origin of the ulnar artery is a well known but rarely encountered abnormality. In a routine dissection of the left upper limb of an adult male cadaver, a superficial ulnar artery was noted. The ulnar artery had a high origin from the brachial artery in the proximal part of the arm and had a superficial course in the forearm. It had a normal termination in the hand. The common interosseous artery and radial artery arose as a terminal branch of the brachial artery at the level of neck of radius. The superficial position of the artery makes it more vulnerable to trauma, haemorrhage and intra-arterial injection but at the same time, more accessible for cannulation. The embryological basis and clinical significance of such course and origin has been explained.
