THE POSTERIOR TIBIAL ARTERY 



639 



The muscular branches of the posterior tibial are distributed to the Soleus and 

 deep muscles along the back of the leg. 



The posterior medial malleolar artery (a. malleolaris posterior medialis; internal 

 malleolar artery} is a small branch which winds around the tibial malleolus and 

 ends in the medial malleolar net-work. 



The communicating branch (ramus cornmunicans) runs transversely across the 

 back of the tibia, about 5 cm. above its lower end, beneath the Flexor hallucis 

 longus, and joins the communicating branch of the peroneal. 



The medial calcaneal (rami calcanei mediates; internal calcaneal) are several 

 large arteries which arise from the posterior tibial just before its division; they 

 pierce the laciniate ligament and are distributed to the fat and integument behind 

 the tendo calcaneus and about the heel, and to the muscles on the tibial side of 

 the sole, anastomosing with the peroneal and medial malleolar and, on the back 

 of the heel, with the lateral calcaneal arteries. 



Deep plantar 



1st plantar ) 

 metatarsal 



FIG. 554. The plantar arteries. Superficial view. 



Fia. 555. The plantar arteries. Deep view. 





The medial plantar artery (a. plantaris medialis; internal plantar artery} (Figs. 

 554 and 555), much smaller than the lateral, passes forw r ard along the medial side 

 of the .foot. It is at first situated above the Abductor hallucis, and then between 

 it and the Flexor digitorum brevis, both of which it supplies. At the base of the 

 first metatarsal bone, where it is much diminished in size, it passes along the medial 

 border of the first toe, anastomosing with the first dorsal metatarsal artery. Small 

 superficial digital branches accompany the digital branches of the medial plantar 

 nerve and join the plantar metatarsal arteries of the first three spaces. 



The lateral plantar artery (a. plantaris later alis; external plantar artery], much 

 larger than the medial, passes obliquely lateralward and forward to the base of 

 the fifth metatarsal bone. It then turns medialward to the interval between the 

 bases of the first and second metatarsal bones, where it unites with the deep plantar 

 branch of the dorsalis pedis artery, thus completing the plantar arch. As this artery 

 passes lateralward, it is first placed between the calcaneus and Abductor hallucis, 



