The ulnar artery
Ulnar artery · arteria ulnaris
The artery on the little-finger side of the forearm.
What it does
The ulnar artery runs down the little-finger side of the forearm, next to the ulnar nerve. It enters the palm beside the pea-shaped pisiform bone. There it forms most of the arch of arteries just under the skin of the palm.
Surprising fact
Before using the radial artery for a procedure, doctors check that the ulnar artery alone can keep the hand pink, using a simple squeeze test named after Edgar Allen.
Why it matters
The two forearm arteries back each other up through the palm, so the hand usually keeps its blood supply if one is blocked.
Nearby
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Sources
Drafted with AI help; awaiting a human fact-check against these sources.
Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.
3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.