passing distal to the insertion of the abductor pollicis longus tendon and deep to the extensor pollicis brevis tendon. It then lay in the gutter formed by the radial aspect of the thumb metacarpal and the abductor and opponens pollicis muscles. The distance between this artery and the longitudinal central axis of the thumb metacarpal was 5mm at its base, 0.9 to 1.3mm at theshaft and 10 to 15mm in its distal third.