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Branches of ulnar artery in human fetuses: anatomical and morphometric study

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Abstract

Purpose

This study was conducted to demonstrate morphological pattern of the ulnar artery and to evaluate morphometrically its anatomical branching pattern in human fetuses.

Methods

Branching pattern of ulnar artery was evaluated on 121 upper limbs of dissected 63 of formalin-fixed fetus cadavers with gestational age ranging from 17 to 40 weeks. In order to obtain second and third trimester data, according to their gestational age, two groups were determined.

Results

In 79 of all 121 upper limbs (65%) ulnar artery gave anterior and posterior ulnar recurrent arteries as separate branches. In this study frequency of presence of a median artery was 46.28% among total examined 121 upper limbs. Median arteries originated from ulnar artery (3.57%) and from the common interosseous artery (53.57%) and anterior interosseous artery (42.85%). Mean distances of the measured parameters were demonstrated according to the gestational age and differences between group I (second trimester) and group II (third trimester). No statistical difference for groups was observed for gender and between right and left sides.

Conclusions

Ulnar artery shows predictable patterns during second and third trimester of fetal period and can be suitable access effective alternative for diagnostic and therapeutic coronary interventions. Persistent median artery is important variation and knowledge of its incidence is important for diagnostic difficulties and also during awareness of its injury during surgical approaches.

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Acknowledgements

This work was not supported by grant funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Gulhane Medical Faculty, University of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey

    Selda Yildiz, Necdet Kocabiyik & Bulent Yalcin

  2. School of Health, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey

    Ozlem Elvan

  3. Department of Anatomy, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, 06100 Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey

    Ayhan Comert

Authors
  1. Selda Yildiz
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  2. Necdet Kocabiyik
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  3. Ozlem Elvan
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  4. Bulent Yalcin
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  5. Ayhan Comert
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Contributions

SY, NK, AC designed this study; SY, OE and AC performed anatomical dissections; NK and BY analyzed the data; SY and AC wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ayhan Comert.

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Yildiz, S., Kocabiyik, N., Elvan, O. et al. Branches of ulnar artery in human fetuses: anatomical and morphometric study. Surg Radiol Anat 41, 1325–1332 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-019-02297-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-019-02297-6

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