Palmar arterial arches

Looks like

Two loops of artery across the palm, a superficial one under the skin and a deep one on the bones, joining the radial and ulnar arteries.

What it does

Share blood from both forearm arteries among all the fingers.

Keeping it well

Repeated hammering with the heel of the hand can clot them; fingers turning white and painful after such work need checking.

Its parts

• Superficial palmar arterial arch
• Deep palmar arch

Related conditions

• Buerger's disease (thromboangiitis obliterans)
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• De Quervain's tenosynovitis
• Dupuytren's contracture & trigger finger
• Ganglion cyst
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Hypothermia & frostbite
• Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
• Kawasaki disease
• Metabolic syndrome
• Orthostatic hypotension & POTS
• Peripheral artery disease
• Phaeochromocytoma & hyperaldosteronism
• Pre-eclampsia
• Pseudogout (calcium pyrophosphate disease)
• Raynaud's phenomenon
• Repetitive strain & overuse injury
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Sepsis
• Shock (circulatory failure)
• Vasculitis (GCA & others)