radial artery [L, radius, ray] , an artery in the forearm, starting at the bifurcation of the brachial artery and passing in 12 branches to the forearm, wrist, and hand. In the forearm it extends from the neck of the radius to the forepart of the styloid process; in the wrist, from the styloid process to the carpus; in the hand, from the carpus, across the palm, to the little finger. In the forearm the branches of the radial artery are the radial recurrent, muscular, palmar carpal, and superficial palmar; in the wrist the branches are the dorsal carpal and the first dorsal metacarpal. In the hand the branches are the princeps pollicis, radialis indicis, deep palmar arch, palmar metacarpal, perforating, and recurrent.
