636 



ANGIOLOGY 



longus and Peronseus tertius and supplies the lateral side of the ankle, anas- 

 tomosing with the perforating branch of the peroneal artery, and with ascend- 

 ing twigs from the lateral tarsal artery. 

 The arteries around the ankle-joint 

 anastomose freely with one another 

 and form net-works below the corre- 

 sponding malleoli. The medial malleolar 

 net-work is formed by the anterior 



Lateral 



inferior . 

 genicular 



Anterior 



tibial ~ 

 recurrent 



Medial 

 ' inferior 

 genicular 



IS 



medial malleolar branch of the anterior 

 tibial, the medial tarsal branches of 

 the dorsalis pedis, the posterior medial 

 malleolar and medial calcaneal branches 

 of the posterior tibial and branches 

 from the medial plantar artery. The 

 lateral malleolar net-work is formed by 

 the anterior lateral malleolar branch of 

 the anterior tibial, the lateral tarsal 

 branch of the dorsalis pedis, the per- 

 forating and the lateral calcaneal 

 branches of the peroneal, and twigs 

 from the lateral plantar artery. 



Per/, br. of m 



Ant. lat. 

 malleolar 



Ant. med. 

 malleolar 



Deep 

 plantar 



FIG. 553. Anterior tibial and dorsalis pedis arteries. 



The Arteria Dorsalis Pedis (Dorsalis 

 Pedis Artery) (Fig. 553). 



The arteria dorsalis pedis, the contin- 

 uation of the anterior tibial, passes for- 

 ward from the ankle-joint along the 

 tibial side of the dorsum of the foot to 

 the proximal part of the first inter- 

 metatarsal space, where it divides into 

 two branches, the first dorsal metatarsal 

 and the deep plantar. 



Relations. This vessel, in its course for- 

 ward, rests upon the front of the articular 

 capsule of the ankle-joint, the talus, navic- 

 ular, and second cuneiform bones, and the 

 ligaments connecting them, being covered by 

 the integument, fascia and cruciate ligament, 

 and crossed near its termination by the first 

 tendon of the Extensor digitorum brevis. On 

 its tibial side is the tendon of the Extensor 

 hallucis longus; on its fibular side, the first 

 tendon of the Extensor digitorum longus, 

 and the termination of the deep peroneal 

 nerve. It is accompanied by two veins. 



Peculiarities in Size. The dorsal artery of 

 the foot may be larger than usual, to com- 

 pensate for a deficient plantar artery; or its 

 terminal branches to the toes may be absent, 

 the toes then being supplied by the medial 

 plantar; or its place may be taken altogether 

 by a large perforating branch of the peroneal 

 artery. 



Position. This artery frequently curves 

 lateralward, lying lateral to the line between 

 the middle of the ankle and the back part of 

 the first interosseous space. 



