Cardiovascular Diseases Commons^™

An Anatomical And Functional Analysis Of Digital Arteries, Katie Highsmith

Student Scholar Showcase

Blood flow to the tissue of the hands and digits is efficiently regulated by vasoconstriction and vasodilation. Through a series of cadaveric dissection, we examined arteries in the hands and digits, including ulnar artery, radial artery, palmar arteries, and digital arteries, for their distribution (branching) patterns and morphological parameters (e.g., thickness, length between branches, external and internal diameters). Using data directly collected from three female cadavers as input variables to our mathematical model, we simulated vasoconstriction (-20% and -10% diameter) and vasodilation (+10% and +20 diameter) to evaluate the extent of changes in blood volume and flow within the arteries. …