Anatomy study note · Upper limb

Median cubital vein

A short superficial vein crossing the front of the elbow, joining the cephalic vein to the basilic vein. It is the usual site for venipuncture.

Key points

• Links cephalic → basilic in the cubital fossa.
• Commonest venipuncture site.
• Bicipital aponeurosis protects the brachial artery beneath.
• Vessels: mesodermal, from angioblastic tissue.
• Vein: thin wall, adventitia thickest, valves.
• Veins hold ~70% of the blood.

The full note in the atlas also covers

Relations · Histology · Development · Clinical notes

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Written from

• Snell’s Clinical Anatomy by Regions, 10th ed., ch. 3, PDF pp. 387–388
• Inderbir Singh’s Human Embryology, ch. 15, PDF p. 236
• BRS Cell Biology & Histology, 7th ed., ch. 11, PDF pp. 203–205

More from the upper limb

• Median nerve
• Metacarpal bones
• Metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints of the hand
• Musculocutaneous nerve
• Nerve to subclavius
• Palmar aponeurosis
• Palmaris longus
• Pectoral nerves
• Pectoralis major
• Pectoralis minor
• Phalanges of the hand
• Pronator quadratus

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