Il8 ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY FOR NURSES 



The posterior tibial artery passes down the tibial 

 side of the leg, from the lower border of the popliteal 

 muscle to the concavity of the os calcis, where it divides 

 into the internal and the external plantar arteries. The 

 branches of the posterior tibial are as follows: Pero- 



neal, nutrient, muscular, in- 

 ternal calcanean, internal 

 plantar, and external plantar. 

 The Pulmonary Artery. 

 - The pulmonary artery 

 arises from the right ven- 

 tricle of the heart, in front 

 of the aorta, and is divided 

 into a right and a left pul- 

 monary artery, which pass 

 to the lungs. The right is 

 larger than the left. These 

 vessels transmit the venous 

 blood to the lungs, to be 

 supplied with oxygen. They 

 will be subsequently more 

 fully described. 



FIG. 59. Dorsal arteries of foot : 

 Ta, Anterior tibial ; Dpd, dorsal ; 

 ppf, anterior peroneal ; mam, an- 

 teromedian malleolar ; ma/, inter- 

 nal malleolar ; tsm, internal supra- 

 tarsal ; tip, external tarsal ; tla, 

 metatarsal ; pip, deep plantar; 

 imcfr, imcft, imcfr, the dorsal in- 

 terossei ; pfp, posterior perforat- 

 ing ; pfa, anterior perforating ; 

 spin, digital branch of communi- 

 cating (after Henle). 



THE VENOUS SYSTEM 



The venous system is that 

 part of the systemic circula- 

 tion which returns the ven- 

 ous blood to the right auricle 

 of the heart. 



The veins take their origin from absorbent radicles from 

 the capillaries, which in their course unite and reunite, 

 thus forming larger and still larger trunks, until they 

 finally form two large vessels the ascending and the 

 descending vena cava. The circulation in the veins is 

 always in a direction toward the heart. 



