Maintained Hand Perfusion in the Setting of Radial and Ulnar Artery Transections: A Report of 2 Cases.

CASE: Two otherwise healthy male patients presented with lacerations to the volar distal forearm. Both patients had capillary refill at the fingertips and intact Doppler signals of the palmar arch. Computed tomography angiography revealed cessation of flow in the major forearm arteries at the level of the lacerations, with distal reconstitution from the anterior interosseous artery in both cases and from a branch off the ulnar artery in 1 case. The patients underwent operative exploration, where complete transections of the radial and ulnar arteries were found and repaired.

CONCLUSIONS: In patients without arterial disease, contributions from minor forearm arteries can be sufficient for hand perfusion in the setting of radial and ulnar artery transection.