THE SOLE OF THE FOOT. 277 



the foot can be conveniently referred to the partitions 

 formed by the plantar fascia. In the inner compartment, 

 internally and posteriorly, lie the fleshy fibres of the 

 abductor pollicis, the tendons of the flexor longus digi- 

 torum and flexor longus pollicis, the latter crossing and 

 becoming internal anteriorly, the posterior tibial vessels 

 and nerves becoming plantar, flexor brevis pollicis, the 

 vessels and nerves of the great toe, and inner side of the 

 foot, 



In the outer compartment lie the abductor minimi 

 digiti, and the flexor brevis minimi digiti. 



The middle compartment, which is by far the most 

 important from its contents and size, is bounded by the 

 plantar fascia below, laterally by the septa between the 

 outer and inner compartments, and its roof is formed by 

 the under surfaces of the bones forming the arch of the 

 foot ; it communicates posteriorly with the region of the 

 leg by means of the sheaths for the tendons and vessels 

 passing beneath the inner malleolus. Beneath the mid- 

 dle fasciculus of the plantar fascia, lie the flexor brevis 

 digitorum, the plantar vessels and nerves, the flexor ac- 

 cessorius, the tendons of the flexor longus digitorum, 

 with which are associated the lumbricales, and flexor 

 longus pollicis internally. Beneath these muscles lie 

 posteriorly the tarsal bones and their ligaments, ante- 

 riorly, the adductor pollicis, the heads of the metacarpal 

 bones and the ligaments uniting them, the transversus 

 pedis, the plantar arch and external plantar nerve and 

 their interosseal branches, the bodies of the metacarpal 

 bones, between which lie the plantar interossei, and lying 

 deeply in the tarsus the tendon of the peroneus longus. 



The Ankle-joint and Articulations of the Foot. The 

 structures immediately in relation with the ankle-joint are, 



24 



