Differential Diagnosis and Medical Screening in Physical Therapy Practice Exam

In the antecubital fossa, the pulse you feel on the medial side of the biceps tendon is the brachial pulse. This region marks where the brachial artery runs as it travels down the arm and into the forearm, just medial to the biceps tendon (the TAN arrangement in the cubital fossa: tendon, artery, nerve from lateral to medial). Palpating here is a standard way to assess arterial flow to the forearm and hand, and it’s the primary site used when taking blood pressure (in the upper arm) and evaluating perfusion.

The other pulses are located elsewhere: the radial pulse is at the wrist, the temporal pulse over the temple, and the femoral pulse in the groin region.