Dorsal venous network of hand

The dorsal digital veins pass along the sides of the fingers and are joined to one another by oblique communicating branches.

Those from the adjacent sides of the fingers unite to form three dorsal metacarpal veins  which end in a dorsal venous net-work opposite the middle of the metacarpus.

The radial part of the net-work is joined by the dorsal digital vein from the radial side of the index finger and by the dorsal digital veins of the thumb, and is prolonged upward as the cephalic vein. The ulnar part of the net-work receives the dorsal digital vein of the ulnar side of the little finger and is continued upward as the basilic vein. A communicating branch frequently connects the dorsal venous network with the cephalic vein about the middle of the forearm.