4G8 



AETERIES OF THE LOWER LIMB. 



vessels, are sometimes enlarged, and furnish the interosseous arteries on the upper 

 surface of the foot ; the metatarsal branch of the dorsal artery, from which the 

 interosseous arteries are usually derived, being in 

 Fig. 300. that case very small. 



^x..^- ; 



if \\ 



down, 



Fig. 300. —Anterior view op the Arteries of the 

 Leg and Dorsum of the Foot (from Tiedemann). J 



The tibialis anticiis muscle is drawn towards the inner 

 side so as to bring the anterior tibial artery into view ; 

 the extensor proprius pollicis, the long common extensor 

 of the toes, and the jieroneus tertius muscles in their 

 lower part, and the whole of the extensor communis 

 lirevis, have been removed. 1, external superior articular 

 branch of the popliteal artery, ramifj-ing on the parts 

 surrounding the knee, and anastomosing with tlie other 

 articular branches and with 2, the recurrent branch of 

 the anterior tibial artery ; 3, 3, anterior tibial, giving off 

 muscular branches on each side ; 4, dorsal artery of 

 the foot ; 5, external anterior malleolar artery coming 

 off from the anterior tibial, and anastomosing with 

 the anterior peroneal ai-tery which is seen descending 

 upon the lower part of the fibula : the internal malleolar 

 is represented proceeding from the other side of the 

 anterior tibial artery ; 6, the tarsal branch of the dorsal 

 artery, represented in this instance as larger than usual 

 and furnishing some of the branches of the next artery ; 

 7, the metatarsal branch, giving off the dorsal inter- 

 osseous arteries : (in the first iutero.sseous space the 

 dorsal artery of the foot is seen to give off the anasto- 

 mosing branch which unites with the deep plantar arch ;) 

 between 8, and 8, the collateral bi-anches of the dorsal 

 digital arteries. 



ANTERIOR TIBIAL ARTERY. 



]Wj The anterior tibial artery, placed along 



the fore part of the leg, is at first deeply 

 seated, but gradually approaches nearer to the 

 surface as it descends. It extends from the 

 division of the popliteal artery to the bend of 

 the ankle ; whence it is afterwards jirolouged 

 to the interval between the first and second 

 metatarsal bones, under the name of dorsal 

 artery of the foot. 



The anterior tibial artery is at first directed 

 forwards to reach the anterior surface of the 

 interosseous ligament, passing through the 

 divided upper end of the tibialis posticus, and 

 through the interval left unoccupied by the 

 interosseous ligament. It tlien extends ob- 

 liquely downwards to the middle of the ankle- 

 joint, in a direction which may be nearly 

 indicated by a line drawn from the inner 

 side of the head of the fibula to midway 

 between the two malleoli. Lying with the 

 tibialis anticus on its inner side, and having 

 the extensor communis digitorum and, lower 

 the extensor prop'ius pollicis on its outer side, the vessel is 



