THE POSTERIOR LIMB 287 



A branch of the popliteal artery supplying the flexor digitorum longus 

 represents the posterior tibial artery of the human limb. In the latter, the great 

 saphenous artery is lost and the peripheral part of its distribution (the posterior 

 tibial artery as described above) has been taken over by the branch indicated. 

 A comparable arrangement can occur as an individual variation in the rabbit. 

 In man, the peroneal artery is a branch of the posterior tibial and runs distad 

 behind the fibula. 



The small saphenous artery (a. saphena parva) rises from the 

 popliteal and appears on the proximal portion of the posterolateral 

 margin of the leg, running along the border of the lateral head of 

 the gastrocnemius in company with the corresponding vein and 

 the lesser saphenous nerve. It continues in the thick lateral 

 superficial fascia to the lateral aspect of the calcaneus and ramifies 

 extensively to the structures about the dorsal, lateral, and plantar 

 surfaces of the heel, passing mediad across the plantar surface of the 

 tarsus to anastomose with a small branch of the posterior tibial 

 artery. A branch given off about the level of the lateral malleolus 

 accompanies the peroneal tendons to the dorsum of the foot. 



The great saphenous vein (v. saphena magna), a large tributary 

 of the femoral, accompanies the corresponding artery and the 

 greater saphenous nerve. It is a continuation of the posterior 

 tibial vein (v. tibialis posterior) from the plantar surface of the foot. 



The popliteal vein, the root of the femoral, accompanies the 

 corresponding artery in the popliteal fossa. It receives the small 

 saphenous vein (v. saphena parva) from the posterior margin of 

 the lateral head of the gastrocnemius, where this vein has been 

 formed by tributaries accompanying the distal branches of the 

 small saphenous artery. 



The sciatic vein is the continuation of the anterior tibial vein 

 (v. tibialis anterior), which runs along the lateral surface of the 

 leg. The anterior tibial receives the accessory small saphenous 

 vein (v. saphena parva accessoria) from the posterior surface and 

 drains the dorsum of the foot, passing to the fibular side of the 

 crural ligament. It reaches the region of the medial malleolus but 

 does not pass this in the rabbit. 



The greater saphenous nerve, the posterior branch of the 

 femoral nerve, accompanies first the femoral artery and afterwards 

 the great saphenous artery, passing distad to the medial surface 

 of the leg to supply the skin. 



