Pattern of Variations in Superficial Palmar Arch and its Clinical Importance

Background: Superficial palmar arch (SPA) is an important arterial anastomotic arcade which is the dominant vascular supply to the majority of the palmar muscles. Objectives: Keeping the importance of these variations in mind this study was designed to find out the pattern of superficial palmar arterial arches. Materials and Methods: A total of 40 adults upper limbs of unknown sex were observed for the variations in the pattern of superficial palmar arches on right and left side and were compared with the previous data. Results: A complete superficial palmar arch was encountered in 72.5% (n=29/40) of specimens and an incomplete SPA was observed in 27.5% (n=11/40) of specimens. Conclusion: Knowledge of the variations in the arterial supply of hand is essential in advent of microvascular surgery for revascularisation, replantation and composite tissue transfers.