Human Anatomy Vol 1

CUTANEOUS NERVES, SUPERFICIAL VEINS AND LYMPHATIC DBAINAGE

Cephalic vein

draining into

axillary vein

(a) (b)

The superficial veins of the upper limb: (a) On the front, and (b) on the back of the limb

forearm,
Winds round this border near the elbow,
Continues upwards in front of the elbow (medial
epicondyle) and along the medial margin of the
biceps brachii up to the middle of the arm, where
It pierces the deep fascia, and
Runs along the medial side of the brachial artery
up to the lower border of teres major where it
becomes the axillary vein.
About 2.5 cm above the medial epicondyle of the
humerus, it is joined by the median cubital vein.
It is accompanied by the posterior branch of
the medial cutaneous nerve of the forearm and the
terminal part of the dorsal branch of the ulnar nerve.

Medion Cubitol Vein

Medial cubital vein is a large communicating vein
which shunts blood from the cephalic to the basilic vein
(Fig.7.7b).
It begins from the cephalic vein 2.5 cm below the
bend of the elbow, runs obliquely upward and
medially, and ends in the basilic vein 2.5 cm above the
medial epicondyle. It is separated from the brachial
artery by the bicipital aponeurosis.
It may receive tributaries from the front of the
forearm (median vein of the forearm) and is connected
to the deep veins through a perforator vein which
pierces the bicipital aponeurosis. The perforator vein
fixes the median cubital vein and thus makes it ideal
for intravenous injections.

Median vein of the forearm begins from the palmar

venous network, and ends in any one of the veins in

front of the elbow mostly in median cubital vein.

Deep Veins

Deep veins start as small venae comitantes running on

each side of digital veins. These continue proximally

as superficial and deep palmar arches.

Then, these course proximally to continue as venae

comitantes of radial and ulnar arteries; which further

join to form the brachial veins.

Brachial veins lie on each side of brachial artery.

These join the axillary vein at the lower border of teres

major. Axillary vein is described in axilla.

Figs 7.7a and b:

It runs upwards:

i. Along the back ofthe medial border of the

1

lV

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. The median cubital vein is the vein of choice for
intravenous injections, for withdrawing blood
from donors, and for cardiac catheterisation,
because it is fixed by the perforator and does not
slip away during piercing. When the median
cubital vein is absent, the basilic is preferred over
the cephalic because the former is a more efficient
channel (Fig. 7.8). Basiiic vein runs along straight
path, whereas cephalic veinbends acutely to drain
into the axillary vein.
. The cephalic vein frequently communicates with
the external jugular vein by means of a small vein
which crosses in front of the clavicle. In operations

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