ARTERIES OF THE INFERIOR EXTREMITY. 



ment, near the head of the fibula, and descends in front of 

 the ligament, being deeply hid above by the tibialis anticus 

 and extensor longus. At its lower part it is superficial, 

 passing under the annular ligament and over the front of 

 the ankle joint, where it can be felt pulsating, and runs to 

 the base of the metatarsal bone of the great toe where it 

 terminates. Two veins and the anterior tibial nerve ac- 

 company this artery. 



BRANCHES OF THE ANTERIOR TIBIAL ARTERY. 



The recurrent passes inward and upward around the 

 knee joint, and anastomoses with the articular. 



Muscular branches are given oif all along the course of 

 the artery to the muscles. 



The malleolar, external and internal, go to the outer and 

 inner side of the ankle joint. 



The tarsal supply the tarsus. 



The metatarsal gives branches to the tarsus, and supplies 

 three of the outer interosseal spaces. 



The arteria pollicis is the continued trunk of the ante- 

 rior tibial, which runs along the back of the great toe, and 

 sends a branch to the adjoining toe. 



The communicans is another terminating branch of the 

 anterior tibial, which descends between the two heads of 

 the first dorsal interosseous muscle into the sole of the foot 

 to anastomose with the external plantar artery. 



The posterior tibial artery (Fig. 258) forms the other ter- 

 minating branch of the popliteal, and extends from the 

 head of the tibia to the sinuosity of the os calcis. It 

 descends the posterior part of the leg, covered by the gas- 

 trocnemius and soleus, and at its lower portion runs along 

 the inner margin of the tendo-Achillis behind the malleolus 

 internus. The posterior tibial nerve and two veins attend it. 



BRANCHES OF THE POSTERIOR TIBIAL ARTERY. 



The peroneal artery is the first branch of importance, 

 and descends along the inner border of the fibula to the 

 external ankle, supplying branches to the muscles in its 



