166 HANDBOOK OF ANATOMY 



Internal Plantar Artery. The smaller of the two terminal 

 branches of the posterior tibial artery passes forwards along the 

 inner side of the foot between abductor hallucis and flexor 

 brevis digitorum to the head of the first metatarsal bone, where 

 it unites with a branch of the dorsalis pedis artery, the termina- 

 tion of the anterior tibial artery. 



External Plantar Artery. The larger of the two terminal 

 branches runs outwards and forwards between flexor brevis 

 digitorum on the inner side and accessorius and abductor minimi 

 digiti on the outer side to the base of the fifth metatarsal bone, 

 It then passes inwards across the bases of the metatarsal bones, 

 where on the outer side of the first one it terminates by anas- 

 tomosing with the dorsalis pedis artery, thus forming the plantar 

 arch (see Fig. 24). 



Branches. 1. Internal calcaneal. 



2. Muscular. 



3. Cutaneous. 

 From the arch 



4. Digital branches four in number running on the outer 

 side of the little toe and the plantar surfaces of the interosseous 

 muscles. 



5. Perforating arteries three in number anastomosing with 

 the dorsal arteries. 



6. Articular to the tarsal joints. 



Anterior Tibial Artery. The smaller of the two terminal 

 branches of the popliteal artery passes forward above the inter- 

 osseous membrane and runs down the front of the leg and 

 terminates by becoming the dorsal artery of the foot from the 

 lower border of popliteus to the front of the ankle. It lies on, 

 successively, anterior surface upper two-thirds of interosseous 

 membrane, shaft of tibia, anterior ligament of ankle-joint. 



On the inner side of the upper two-thirds lies the tibialis 

 anticus, and in the lower third the extensor longus hallucis 

 crosses over and lies on the inner side. On the outer side of the 

 upper two-thirds lie respectively extensor longus digitorum and 

 extensor longus hallucis, and the last part of the artery lies 

 between the tendons of these two muscles. 



The anterior tibial nerve lies on the outer side of the artery,, 



