Upper limb
Dorsal digital artery of thumb (Dorsalis pollicis)
Arteria dorsalis pollicis
- Origin
- Arises from the radial artery in the anatomical snuffbox before it enters the first dorsal interosseous space
- Insertion
- Runs along the dorsal surface of the first metacarpal to supply the dorsum of the thumb and nail fold
- Function
- Supplies the dorsal skin, subcutaneous tissue, and extensor apparatus of the thumb
- Innervation
- Sympathetic vasomotor fibers
- Movement & chain
- Accommodates thumb flexion and extension dorsally
- Palpation
- Not individually palpable
- Clinical
- Serves as the vascular basis for dorsal fasciocutaneous thumb flaps
- Segmental innervation
- C6 spinal root
- In clinical practice
- Protected during dorsal incisions over the first metacarpal and MCP joint
- Region in the model
- Upper limb