Ideas and Innovations: Island Flap Supplied by the Dorsal Branch of

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the Ulnar Artery. Holevich-Madjarova-B. Paneva-Holevich-E. Topkarov-V. Sofia, Bulgaria. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 1991 Mar. 87(3). p 562-566. Based on examinations carried out on 100 anatomic preparations with contrast media, Becker and Gilbert *RF 2 * ascertained a constant branch of the ulnar artery that they named a. ulnaris dorsalis, the latter providing blood supply to the skin along the ulnar side of the forearm. This small artery emanates from ulnar artery 2 to 4 cm proximally from os pisiforme, passing dorsalward between flexor carpi ulnaris muscle and the periosteum. At this level in 76 percent of cases this artery has two branches, one for the flexor carpi ulnaris muscle and the other one for the os pisiforme, while in 20 percent of cases only one muscular branch exists and none exists in 4 percent. Thereafter, the small artery branches in a descending vessel, included in the rete carpi dorsale, and an ascending fasciocutaneous vessel. The latter provides blood supply to the skin along the dorsoulnar aspect of the forearm at a length between 10 and 20 cm and a width of 5 to 9 cm between the line over the flexor carpi ulnaris muscle and the extensors of the fourth and fifth fingers (Fig. 1). The diameter of ulnaris dorsalis artery varies between 1 and 1.30 mm, and that of one of the venae comitantes varies between 0.8 and 1.2 mm. Anastomoses between the superficial subcutaneous veins and venae comitantes exist.