What Is the Radial Artery?
The radial artery is one of several large blood vessels in the body that function like pipes through which oxygenated blood flows from the heart. It forms part of the circulatory system which consists of many vessels of various sizes that branch out from head to toe. Some of these arteries lie close to the surface of the skin, others are deep-seated. The radial artery itself is a branch coming from another blood vessel known as the brachial artery, which forms a fork just below the bend of the elbow. One branch of the fork delivers blood to the radial side of the forearm – hence the name radial artery; the other supplies blood to the ulnar side of the forearm.
