Median artery

The median artery ( "middle artery" ) is an artery of the forearm in mammals. In humans, this blood vessel is formed only in rare cases as a normal variation, whereas it is in dogs, cats, pigs, horses and ruminants, the most powerful vessel of the forearm and the direct continuation of the brachial artery after leaving the artery interosseous artery.

The median artery accompanies the median nerve on the inside of the forearm and pulls him through the carpal tunnel. Even in the upper third of the forearm she dismisses the radial artery. At the lower third of the front metatarsus it divides into the superficial palmar arteries ( arteries, palmar digital communes) and is the main tributary to the forefoot. In horses, it also sends a tributary of the deep palmar arch.

A study in southern Africa showed that the incidence of median artery trained in humans in adulthood there from about 10 % at the beginning of the 20th century has increased to approximately 30 % at the end of the 20th century. Higher than average tendency to find the median artery according to this study in patients with painful carpal tunnel syndrome.