VASCULAR SUPPLY OF THE PALMAR SUBCUTANEOUS TISSUE OF FINGERS

The arterial system of the palmar subcutaneous fatty tissue of fingers was studied by injecting a coloured silicone polymer into the vessels of 12 fresh human cadaver hands. Arterial vascularisation of these ti ssues is ensured by small palmar branches arising from the main digita l arteries: there were an average of 7 branches on each side varying b etween 4 and 12 in the specimens studied. Three anatomical patterns co uld be distinguished: an I-shaped configuration in 64% of cases, a nar row V-shape in 23%, and a Y-shape in 13%. An accompanying venous netwo rk was always present and drained into either the superficial or deep venous network. These anatomical findings confirm the vascular reliabi lity of the homodigital subcutaneous flap described by the authors.