The pattern of the superficial arteries in the palma manus can be characterized in the following manner. In 58% of the cases the arteria ulnaris runs in an arch from the ulna to the radius and gives off a varying number of arteries to the fingers. There is no connection with any other artery. In 42% of the cases there are arterial connections, of which 32.1% are present in the form of an ‘arcus’ of a rather large diameter, formed through connection of the arteria ulnaris with the ramus palmaris superficialis of the arteria radialis or with the arteria metacarpalis dorsalis I. Likewise, in 9.9% there is a connection between the arteries but this, which we call an ‘anastomosis’, is of a more delicate nature.

The cauda pancreatis has a characteristic pattern of vascularization. Among the big arterial stems surrounding it, up to 4 arteries, ‘caudal arteries’, nourish the arterial system of the cauda. These stems originate especially in the Arteria gastroepiploica sinistra and in the lower main splenic branch of the Arteria lienalis. The vascular relations between corpus and cauda can be of different kinds. Five basic types of relations can be identified: type I: the cauda is supplied exclusively by caudal arteries; type II: at least one caudal artery anastomoses with the vessels of the corpus; type III: the cauda is supplied both by the caudal arteries and by vessels of the corpus (non-anastomosing); type IV: combined forms of blood supply by caudal arteries and corpus arteries by way of anastomoses and non-anastomosing vessels are found; type V: the cauda is supplied exclusively be vessels stemming from the corpus. In each of these five types, individual vessels supplying the cauda can assume the function of a terminal vessel.

The contents of the mediastinum take part in a different degree in its inspiratory longitudinal expansion: Heart, pulmonary root, and the bifurcation of the trachea – all of them connected with the diaphragm by pericardium or membrana bronchopericardiaca -move caudad proportional to the sinking of the diaphragm. Compared with the corona cordis the planum cardiacum moves further caudad according to its distance from the upper apertura thoracis. So the heart necessarily has to compensate for this difference by taking an upright position and by rotation to the right. The arcus aortae, however, fixed in the neck by its three main branches cannot perform such a proportional excursion. A significant distance of the left pulmonary root from the aortic arch is the result. At the same time a subaortal space, the ‘spatium subaortale mediastini’, unfolds into which a bulge of the pleura mediastinalis moves. This bulge is filled with tissue of the upper lobe of the left lung.

The metacarpophalangeal joint of the human thumb (Articulatio metacarpophalangea pollicis) is an ellipsoidal (condyloid) joint. The head of the first metacarpal bone is shaped like a spindle polled at either end. Its form relevant to the mobility is determined by the correlation of two flexures, expressed by the quotient R/r, where R = semi-diameter of the radio-ulnar flexure and r = semi-diameter of the dorso-palmar flexure in the middle of the head. Only the substantial kind of motion (flexion – extension) maintains the perfect contiguity of the articular surfaces. Owing to the deformability of the articular cartilage, the actual littleness of the articular surfaces as well as the relative smallness of the cavity with respect to the head permits both transverse motions (adduction – abduction) and axial motions (rotation inward and outward). The amplitude of the transverse motion unexpectedly does not correlate to the intensity of the radio-ulnar flexure of the head.