Superficial Lymph Vessels of Forearm
Vasa lymphatica superficiales antebrachii
Read moreQuick Facts
Location: Loose epifascial connective tissue of arm.
Drainage: Skin and subcutaneous layer of forearm.
Direction of Flow: Superficial lymph vessels of arm> lateral axillary nodes > central axillary nodes > infraclavicular nodes > subclavian trunk > right lymphatic duct (right) or thoracic duct (left).
Related parts of the anatomy
Description
Within the forearm there are three bundles of superficial lymph vessels that transport lymph from the skin and subcutaneous layers of the hand and forearm. The vessels are named according to their location; median, ulnar, and radial bundles. The superficial vessels do not anastomose with the deep vessels.
The median forearm bundle is the weakest and shortest of the forearm vessels. There are four to five median vessels, which join the radial and ulnar bundles in the middle third of the forearm. The median forearm vessels ascend from the adductor pollicis muscle and unite with the radial and ulnar forearm lymph vessels.
There are six to eight radial lymph vessels in the forearm. They wind around the radial side of the forearm and unite with the ulnar bundles at the elbow joint and travel to the superficial cubital lymph node.
There are ten to twelve ulnar lymph vessels in the forearm. Some superficial ulnar lymph vessels travel through the brachial hiatus and continue as the deep brachial lymph vessels in the arm. Others wind around the ulnar side of the forearm and unite with the radial bundles at the elbow joint and proceed into the superficial cubital lymph node.
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Lymph Vessel
The lymph vessels are blind-ending capillaries which have gaps in their endothelial walls enabling protein molecules to move through easily.
