The right brachioradial artery with the radial recurrent artery absence: a cadaveric case report

Purpose: The purpose of this case report is to present an anatomical variation of the radial artery observed in anatomical practice and to discuss its clinical significance.

Methods: During the dissection of the right upper limb of a Chinese adult male, a high-position variation of the right radial artery with the absence of the radial recurrent artery was found.

Results: The variant branch of the right radial artery originates from the brachial artery and arises medially in the upper one-third of the arm. According to previous literature, we refer to it as the brachioradial artery. During its course down to the wrist in the same arm and forearm, no radial recurrent artery or other branches were observed.

Conclusions: We report an atypical variation of the radial artery, namely a unilateral brachioradial artery accompanied by the absence of branches on the same side. This variation may impede procedures such as puncture, vascular access establishment, and surgical operations. Understanding and analyzing this atypical variation of the radial artery is important in clinical practice.