Radial veins

At a glance

English

Radial veins

Latin (TA2)

Venae radiales

System

Vein

Region

Upper limb

Side

Paired, left and right

About the radial veins

The radial veins are the venae comitantes of the radial artery: two thin veins that run one on each side of the artery, joined by frequent cross-links, and bound to it by connective tissue. They are deep veins, lying beneath the forearm muscles rather than in the superficial fascia.

They begin in the hand. Their main roots are the lateral end of the deep venous palmar arch and the dorsal metacarpal veins, matching the course of the radial artery, which winds round the wrist across the floor of the anatomical snuffbox and then plunges into the palm between the first two metacarpals. From the wrist the veins ascend along the lateral side of the front of the forearm with the artery, under cover of brachioradialis in the upper part and lying more superficially near the wrist, where the radial pulse is taken.

Along the way they receive muscular tributaries from the lateral forearm muscles, and they communicate with the superficial veins, notably the cephalic vein, through perforating veins.

In the cubital fossa, at about the level of the neck of the radius, the radial veins meet the ulnar veins. Together they form the paired brachial veins, which continue up the arm beside the brachial artery. When the radial artery is used for blood gas sampling, for an arterial line, for coronary catheterisation or as a graft, the accompanying veins lie close beside it and may bleed. Deep thrombosis of these forearm veins is uncommon compared with the leg.

Course and drainage

Begins at

Begin in the hand from the deep venous palmar arch and the dorsal metacarpal veins.

Drains into

Unite with the ulnar veins in the cubital fossa to form the brachial veins.

Drains

Drain the lateral deep structures of the forearm and the radial part of the hand.