The proper palmar digital arteries travel along the sides of the phalanges (along the contiguous sides of the index, middle, ring, and little finger

Finger

A finger is a limb of the human body and a type of digit, an organ of manipulation and sensation found in the hands of humans and other primates....

s), each artery lying just below (dorsal to) its corresponding digital nerve

Dorsal digital nerves of ulnar nerve

Dorsal digital nerves of ulnar nerve are branches on the dorsum of the hand. The dorsal branch of the ulnar nerve divides into two dorsal digital branches; one supplies the ulnar side of the little finger; the other, the adjacent sides of the little and ring fingers...

.

Alternative names for these arteries are: proper volar digital arteries, collateral digital arteries, arteriae digitales palmares propriae, or aa. digitales volares propriae.

They anastomose freely in the subcutaneous tissue

Subcutaneous tissue

The hypodermis, also called the hypoderm, subcutaneous tissue, or superficial fascia is the lowermost layer of the integumentary system in vertebrates. Types of cells that are found in the hypodermis are fibroblasts, adipose cells, and macrophages...

 of the finger tips and by smaller branches near the interphalangeal joints.

Each also gives off a couple of dorsal branches which anastomose with the dorsal digital arteries

Dorsal digital arteries

Dorsal digital arteries arise from the bifurcation of dorsal metacarpal arteries. They travel along the sides and dorsal aspects of the phalanges of the middle finger, ring finger, and little finger...

, and supply the soft parts on the back of the second and third phalanges, including the matrix of the fingernail.

The proper palmar digital artery for the medial side of the little finger

Little finger

The little finger, often called the pinky in American English, pinkie in Scottish English , or small finger in medicine, is the most ulnar and usually smallest finger of the human hand, opposite the thumb, next to the ring finger.-Muscles:There are four muscles that...

 arises directly from the ulnar artery

Ulnar artery

The ulnar artery is the main blood vessel, with oxygenated blood, of the medial aspect of the forearm. It arises from the brachial artery and terminates in the superficial palmar arch, which joins with the superficial branch of the radial artery...

 deep to the palmaris brevis muscle, but the rest arise from the common palmar digital arteries.