Publications

Introduction: Knowledge regarding the course and termination of the radial artery before harvesting it for coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABGS) is important. The brachial artery terminates at the neck of radius into radial and ulnar arteries. The radial artery at wrist is commonly used to feel the pulse by clinicians. Purpose of the study: To know the available length of the radial artery for CABG. Materials and Methods: The study included 50 upper limb specimens from Department of Anatomy, Sree Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Ernakulam. The specimens were fixed with 10% neutral buffered formalin solution and the radial artery was measured in forearm till wrist joint. Results: The mean length of radial artery from the origin of radial recurrent branch to origin of superficial palmar branch was 21.64 cms and the mean distance from interepicondylar line of humerus to the bifurcation of brachial artery was 3.17 cms with a range of 1.3 to 5.1 cms. Conclusion: The present study has revealed the available length of the radial artery which can be used for CABG. KEY WORDS: Radial artery, Bifurcation, Interepicondylar line.