1346 SURFACE ANATOMY AND SURFACE MARKINGS 





foramen. The course of the femoral artery (Fig. 1245) is represented by the upper 

 two-thirds of a line from a point midway between the anterior superior iliac spine 

 and the symphysis pubis to the adductor tubercle, with the thigh abducted and 

 rotated outward; the profunda femoris arises from it about 1 to 5 cm. below r the 

 inguinal ligament. The course of the upper part of the popliteal artery (Fig. 1247) 

 is indicated by a line from the lateral margin of Semimembranosus at the junction 

 of the middle and lower thirds of the thigh, obliquely downward to the middle of 

 the popliteal fossa; from this point it runs vertically downward for about 2.5 cm. 

 or to the level of a line through the lower part of the tibial tuberosity. The line 

 indicating the anterior tibial artery (Fig. 1246) is drawn from the medial side of 

 the head of the fibula to a point midway between the malleoli; the artery begins 

 about 3 cm. below the head of the fibula. The dorsalis pedis artery is represented 

 on the dorsum of the foot by a line from the center of the interval between the 

 malleoli to the proximal end of the first intermetatarsal space. 



The course of the posterior tibial artery (Fig. 1247) can be shown by a line from 

 the end of the popliteal artery, i. e., 2.5 cm. below the center of the popliteal fossa, 

 to midway between the tip of the medial malleolus and the center of the convexity 

 of the heel; its main branch, the peroneal artery, begins about 7 or 8 cm. below the 

 level of the knee-joint and follows the line of the fibula to the back of the lateral 

 malleolus. The medial and lateral plantar arteries begin from the end of the poste- 

 rior tibial; the medial extends to the middle of the plantar surface of the ball of the 

 great toe, the lateral to within a finger's breadth of the tuberosity of the fifth 

 metatarsal bone; from this latter point the plantar arch crosses the foot trans- 

 versely to the proximal end of the first intermetatarsal space. 



Veins. The line of the great saphenous vein is from the front of the medial 

 malleolus to the center of the. fossa ovalis; the small saphenous vein runs from the 

 back of the lateral malleolus to the center of the popliteal fossa. 



Nerves. The course of the sciatic nerve (Fig. 1247) can be indicated by a line 

 from a point midway between the outer border of the ischial tuberosity and the 

 posterior superior angle of the greater trochanter to the upper angle of the popliteal 

 fossa. The continuation of this line vertically through the center of the popliteal 

 fossa represents the position of the tibial nerve, while the common peroneal nerve 

 follows the line of the tendon of Biceps femoris. The lines for the deep peroneal 

 nerve and the continuation of the tibial nerve correspond respectively to those for 

 the anterior and posterior tibial arteries. 



