404 HEALTH AND DISEASE 



The Musculo - Cutaneous branch is situated beneath the tibial 

 aponeurosis. It passes down the leg along the union of the peroneus 

 and extensor pedis, and ultimately is distributed to the skin on the outer 

 side of the metatarsus. In its cour.se it gives branches to the peroneus. 



The Anterior Tibial Nerve, after leaving the one last de.scribed, 

 passes underneath the extensor pedis muscle, and having supplied branches 

 to it, the flexor metatarsi, and short extensor of the foot, continues its 

 course downwards in front of the leg as far as the hock joint; it then 

 accompanies the large metatarsal artery, and finally ends in the skin on 

 the outer side of the canon. 



The Internal Saphenous Nerve. — This is a branch of the anterior 

 crural nerve, from which it is given off at the brim of the pelvis. From 

 this point it passes downwards in company with the femoral artery, and 

 gives branches to the sartorius muscle. 



About the middle of the thigh it reaches the surface by passing between 

 the last-named muscle and the gracilis, accompanied by the saphenous vein 

 and artery. It divides into an anterior small and a posterior larger branch, 

 which supply the inner and front and the posterior and back parts of 

 the thigh respectively. 



Its ultimate fibres are distributed to the skin on the inner and back 

 part of the leg as low as the hock. 



The External Saphenous Nerve leaves the great sciatic, and passes 

 over the outer head of the gastrocnemius under cover of the biceps femoris, 

 where it receives a branch of the external popliteal nerve. It then passes 

 down the leg in company with the saphenous vein on the outer and front 

 part of the gastrocnemius tendon, and continuing its course over the hock 

 joint, is ultimately expended in the skin of the outer part of the metatarsus. 



The Internal Popliteal Nerve. — This nerve consists of a bundle 

 of nerve branches proceeding from the great sciatic. Passing downwards 

 and forwards between the two heads of the gastrocnemius muscle, it gives 

 branches to it, to the flexor perforatus, the soleus, the perforans, and flexor 

 pedis accessories. Finally it gives off a long branch, which passes between 

 the perforatus and the inner head of the gastrocnemius as the posterior 

 tibial nerve. 



The Posterior Tibial Nerve. — The posterior tibial is a branch of 

 the internal popliteal. In passing down the leg it is situated beneath 

 the inner head of the gastrocnemius. It then becomes enclosed in the 

 deep fascia of the leg, on the inner side of which it descends, and at the 

 hock divides into two parts to become the internal and external plantar 

 nerves. These enter the tarsal sheath in company with the plantar 

 arteries, and separate from each other behind the hock. 



