824 - THE VASCULAR SYSTEM. 
tibial nerve, which intervenes between it and the extensor brevis digitorum and 
innermost tendon of the extensor longus digitorum. On its inner side it is in 
relation with the tendon 
| ieee of the extensor proprius 
nie haus hallucis. Two venie com- 
| hallucis -——s: 1teS, one on each side, 
accompany the artery. 
As it passes through the 
Peroneus brevis 
Extensor longus ——}— 
digitorum 
1 ~~ Tibialis antieus 
Anterior peroneal —— : ; > Aa 
artery — Interne artery base of the first inteross 
External malleolar EEL ETS MATEASA ; : . : ; 
artery seous space it hes between 
the two heads of the first 
dorsal iterosseous muscle, 
and in the sole of the foot 
it is dorsal to the flexor 
brevis hallueis. 
Branches: — Om ‘the 
dorsum of the foot the dor- 
salis pedis artery gives off 
cutaneous branches, the 
tarsal branch, the metatarsal 
branch, and the dorsalis 
hallucis or first dorsal inter- 
osseous. In the sole of the 
foot, and before it unites with 
the external plantar artery, 
Extensor 
brevis 
digitorum 
__ Dorsalis pedis 
artery 
Yarsal artery—_—_ 
Metatarsal 
artery RHC OTE it gives off the princeps 
hallucis. 
Dorsal _ (1) Cutaneous branches, 
Beers 1) two or three in number, are 
distributed to the skin on 
the dorsum and inner side of 
the foot; they anastomose 
with branches of the internal 
plantar artery. 
(2) The tarsal branch (a. 
tarsea lateralis) is given off 
opposite the head of the 
astragalus ; it runs outwards 
beneath the extensor brevis 
digitorum, supplying that 
muscle and the tarsal joints, 
and anastomoses with 
branches of the anterior 
peroneal, metatarsal, and 
external plantar arteries, and with the external malleolar artery. 
(3) The metatarsal artery (a. arcuata) arises opposite the internal cuneiform bone. 
It runs outwards on the bases of the metatarsal bones, beneath the long and_ short 
extensor tendons, supplies the extensor brevis, and anastomoses with branches of the 
tarsal and external plantar arteries. It gives off three dorsal interosseous arteries (aa. 
metatarsez dorsales) which run downwards on the muscles which occupy the three outer 
interosseous spaces to the clefts of the toes, where each divides into two collateral digital 
branches (aa. digitales dorsales) for the adjacent sides of the toes bounding the cleft to 
which it goes. The outer side of the little toe receives a branch from the outermost 
dorsal interosseous artery. Each dorsal interosseous artery gives off a posterior perforating 
branch which passes through the posterior part of the interosseous space, between the 
heads of the dorsal interosseous muscle, to anastomose with the plantar arch, and an 
anterior perforating branch, which descends through the anterior part of the space to 
anastomose with the corresponding plantar digital artery. 
(4) The dorsalis hallucis artery (first dorsal interosseous) is continued forwards 
from the dorsal artery of the foot, and runs on the dorsal surface of the first dorsal 
interosseous muscle. It ends by dividing into collateral dorsal digital branches for the 
adjacent sides of the first and second toes. Before it divides it usually gives off a 
Fic. 5/9.—THE DorsALiIs PEDIS ARTERY AND ITS BRANCHES. 
