330 



POSTERIOR TIBIAL ARTERY. 



Fig. 160. 1 



Branches. The branches of this artery are the 



Tarsea, 



Metatarsea, interosseae, 



Dorsalis hallucis, collateral digital, 



Communicating. 



The Tarsea arches transversely across the tarsus, beneath the extensor 

 brevis digitorum muscle, and supplies the articulations of the tarsal bones 

 and the outer side of the foot ; it anastomoses with the external malleolar, 

 Ihe peroneal arteries, and the external plantar. 



The Metatarsea forms an arch across the base of the 

 metatarsal bones, and supplies the outer side of the 

 foot ; anastomosing with the tarsea and with the exter- 

 nal plantar artery. The metatarsea gives off three 

 branches, the interossece, which pass forward upon the 

 dorsal interossei muscles, and divide into two collateral 

 branches for adjoining toes. At their commencement 

 these interosseous branches receive the posterior per- 

 forating arteries from the plantar arch, and opposite the 

 heads of the metatarsal bones they are joined by the 

 anterior perforating branches from the digital arteries. 



The Dorsalis hallucis runs forward upon the first dor- 

 sal interosseous muscle, and at the base of the first 

 phalanx divides into two branches, one of which passes 

 inwards beneath the tendon of the extensor proprius 

 pollicis, and is distributed to the inner border of the 



>at toe, while the other bifurcates for the supply of 

 le adjacent sides of the great and second toe. 



The Communicating artery passes into the sole of the 

 foot between the two heads of the first dorsal interos- 

 seous muscle, and inosculates with the termination of 

 the external plantar artery. 



Besides the preceding, numerous branches are dis- 

 tributed to the bones and articulations of the foot, par- 

 ticularly along the inner border of the latter. 



POSTERIOR TIBIAL ARTERY. 



The posterior tibial artery passes obliquely down- 

 wards along the tibial side of the leg from the lower 



* A posterior view of the leg, showing the popliteal and posterior tibial artery, i. 

 The tendons forming the inner hamstring. 2. The tendon of the biceps forming the 

 outer hamstring. 3. The popliteus muscle. 4. The flexor longus digitorum. 5. The 

 t'bialis posticus. 6. The fibula; immediately below the figure is the origin of the flexor 

 longus pollicis; the muscle has been removed in order to expose the peroneal artery. 

 7 The peronei muscles, longus and brevis. 8. The lower part of the flexor longus 

 p illicis muscle with \\* tendon. 9. The popliteal artery giving off its articular and 

 njuscular brandies; the two superior articular are seen in the upper part of the popli- 

 teal space passing above the two heads of the gastrocnemius muscle, which are cut 

 fnrough near their origin. The two inferior are in relation with the popliteus muscle. 

 10. The anterior tibial artery passing through the angular interspace between the two 

 beads of the tibialis posticus muscle. 11. The posterior tibial artery. 12. The relative 

 position of the tendons and arteiy at the inner ankle from within outwards, previously 

 to their passing beneath the internal annular ligament. 13. The peroneal artery, dividing, 

 a little below the number, into two branches; the anterior peroneal is seen piercing the 

 tuierosscous membrane. 14. The posterior peroneal 



