Upper limb of the human body has 2 types of veins. They are the superficial and deep veins. Veins are the blood vessels that carry blood toward the heart. All veins except the pulmonary carry dark unoxygenated blood. Veins of the upper limb are called venae membri superioris.
The superficial veins of the upper limb course in the subcutaneous tissue and empty into the deep veins. The superficial veins are present between the two layers of superficial fascia. They form prominent systems of vessels in the limbs and are usually not accompanied by arteries.
The superficial veins of the upper limb are metacarpal, digital, cephalic, basilic, and median. The dorsal digital veins run along the sides of the digits. They are joined to one another by oblique communicating branches. These veins join to form the dorsal metacarpal veins and terminate in the dorsal venous network.
The radial part of the venous network is joined by the dorsal digital veins of the index finger and thumb and moves upward as the cephalic vein. The ulnar part of the venous network is joined by the dorsal digital vein of the little finger and moves upward as basilic vein. The dorsal venous network is connected with the cephalic vein about the middle of the forearm by a communicating branch.
Oblique intercapitular veins connect the volar digital veins to the dorsal digital veins. These veins drain into a venous plexus that is situated over the thenar and hypothenar eminences. The cephalic vein originates in the radial part of the venous network and moves upward along the radial border of the forearm. Below the front of the elbow, it gives off the median basilic vein.
The cephalic vein ascends moves upward in front of the elbow in the groove between the brachioradialis and the biceps brachii. Then, it ascends along the lateral border of the biceps brachii. Then, it passes between the pectoralis major and deltoideus. It ends in the axillary vein below the clavicle.
The accessory cephalic vein joins the cephalic vein below the elbow. The accessory cephalic vein originates from a small tributary plexus from the ulnar side of the dorsal network. A large oblique branch connects the basilic and cephalic veins on the back of the forearm.
The basilic vein originates in the ulnar side of the dorsal venous network. It moves up along the posterior surface of the ulnar side of the forearm and inclines to the anterior surface below the elbow. It moves upward obliquely in the groove between the biceps brachii and pronator teres. It crosses the brachial artery and is separated from it by the lacertus fibrosus. It then runs upward along the medial border of the biceps brachii.
The median antibrachial vein drains the venous plexus on the volar side of the hand. It ends in the basilic vein or median basilic vein. It drains the venous plexus on the volar surface of the hand.
