464 



ARTERIES OF THE LOWER LIMB. 



malleolus ; whilst the tendon of the flexor longiis pollicis is to the outer 

 side of the artery. 



Relation io the Veins and Nerve. — The posterior tibial artery, like the 

 other arteries below the knee, is accompanied 

 Fig. 297. by two vence comifcs. The posterior tibial 



nerve is at first on the inner side of the artery, 

 but in the greater ])art of its course the nerve 

 \W is close to the outer side of the vessel. 



,-/ 



\ 



Fig. 297. — Deep posterior view op the Ap.teries op 

 THE Leg (from Tiedemann). \ 



a, lower part of the adductor magnns muscle ; h, origin 

 of the inner head of the gastrocnemius ; outer head and 

 ^ i^ ~r ''A plantaris ; d, tendon of the semimembranosus muscle ; 



,* Jl, -^18 e, popliteus ; /, upper part of the soleus divided below its 



origin from the head of the iibula ; r/, peroneus longus ; 

 h, flexor longus pollicis ; /, iiexor communis digitorum ; 

 1, upper part of the popliteal artery; 2, origin of the 

 superior articular branches ; 3, origin of the inferior 

 articular branches ; the middle or azygos branch is seen 

 between these numbers; 4, division of the popliteal 

 artery into anterior and posterior tibial arteries ; 5, 5', 

 posterior tibial ; 6, peroneal artery ; 6', its continuation as 

 posterior peroneal ; between 5' and 6', the communicating 

 branch ; 7, calcaneal branches ; 8, external branches of 

 the metatarsal of the doisalis pedis artery. 



*M\^}ffl Bkanches. — The posterior tibial artery 



furnishes numerous small branches, and one 

 large branch — the peroneal artery. 



Small Branches. — («) Several vinsciilar brandies 

 arise from the posterior tibial artery, and are dis- 

 tributed principally to the deep-seated muscles in 

 its neighbourhood, loesides one or two of considerable 

 size to the inner part of the soleus muscle. 



(J) The nutrient artery of the tibia, which is the 

 largest of its kind ia the body, arises from the pos- 

 terior tibial artery near its commencement, and. 

 after giving small branches to the muscles, enters 

 the nutrient foramen in the bone, and ramifies on 

 the medullary membrane. This vessel not unfre- 

 quently arises from the anterior tibial artery. 



(c) A communicating branch from the peroneal 

 artery, passing transversely, joins the posterior tibial 

 about two inches above the ankle-joint. 



The peroneal artery lies deeply along the 

 back part of the leg, close to the fibula. Aris- 

 ing from the posterior tibial artery about an 

 inch below the lower border of the popliteus 

 muscle, it inclines at first obliquely towards 

 the fibula, and then descends nearly perpen- 

 dicularly along that bone and behind the outer 

 ankle, to reach the side of tlie os calcis. In 

 the upper part of its cour.^e, this artery is 

 covered by the soleus muscle and the deep fascia, and afterwards by 

 the flexor longus pollicis. which is placed over it as far as the outer 



