ARTERIES OF THE INFERIOR EXTREMITY. 



FIG. 259. 



BRANCHES OF THE POPLITEAL ARTERY, (Fig. 258.) 



Muscular branches supplying the hamstring and gastroc- 

 nemius. 



The superior articular, external and 

 internal, wind round the condyles of 

 the femur, supply the knee joint, and 

 anastomose with the lower articular, 

 the anastomotica, and the external cir- 

 cumflex arteries. 



The inferior articular surround the 

 lower part of the knee joint about the 

 head of the tibia, and are also external 

 and internal. They anastomose with the 

 superior and anterior tihial recurrent. 



The middle articular or azygos is the 

 smallest of the articular hranches, and 

 pierces the posterior ligament to supply 

 the synovial memhrane of the joint. 



The sural or gastrocnemial branches, 

 two in number, go to the heads of the 

 gastrocnemius. At the lower border of 

 the popliteal space the popliteal artery 

 divides into the anterior and posterior 

 tibial arteries. 



ANTERIOR TIBIAL ARTERY. 



The anterior tibial passes through 

 the opening of the interosseous liga- 



FIG. 259 represents the anterior Tibial artery and Nerves of the Leg. 

 1 Patella. 2 Tendon of rectus muscle. 3 Vastus externus. 23 External 

 cutaneous nerve. 24 Superior external articular artery. 4 Vastus internus 

 mnscle. 25 Superior internal articular artery. 5 Patellar branches of the 

 saphenous nerve. 6 Inferior internal articular artery. 7 Inferior external 

 articular artery. 8 Recurrent articular. 26 Tibialis anticus muscle. 9 9 An- 

 terior tibial artery. 27 Anterior tibial nerve. 28 Extensor longus digitorum. 



29 Anterior annular ligament. 11 Extensor proprius pollicis. 12 Tibia. 



30 Internal saphenous vein. 31 Saphenous nerve. 13 Internal malleolar 

 artery. 14 External malleolar artery. 15 Anterior peroneal artery. 16 Ex- 

 ternal popliteal nerve. 17 17 Cutaneous branches of external popliteal nerve. 

 32 Gastrocnemius muscle. 18 Musculo-cutaneous nerve. 19 19 Venous arch 

 on the dorsum of the foot. 20 Dorsalis pedis artery. 22 Tarsal artery. 



