THE HORSE. 



163 



tibia, it branches into the ^anterior and pos- 

 terior tibial arteries ; the anterior tibial gives 

 off the inguinal artery, also three or four 

 branches to the sartorius, and one to the 

 side and front of the stifle. Its posterior 

 branches are a large artery to the gracilis 

 (which detaches twigs to the long and short 

 heads of the triceps), also one to the biceps. 

 At the back of the stifle come off the pop- 

 liteal branches, four or five in number, 

 taking opposite directions, wliich are des- 

 tined for the supply of the joint ; one runs 

 down upon the posterior tibial muscles; 

 another — the recurrent branches — climbs 

 the back of the os femoris, and anastomoses 

 with the descending ramifications of the 

 profunda femoris. 



The tibial arteries are a continuation of 

 the femoral trunk, which branch off into 

 tibial arteries at the head of tibia. 



The posterior tibial artery^ the smaller of 

 the two, passes along the posterior deep 

 region of the thigh, to the hock, where it 



ends in bifurcation. Its branches are, one 

 that runs into the flexor pedis ; another to the 

 upper and back part of the tibia ; and small 

 twigs to both the flexors. There are several 

 terminating branches, some ramifying sub- 

 cutaneously, others continuing down the leg 

 internally over the tendon of the flexor 

 pedis, and ending at the lower part of the 

 canon in divers smaU ramifications. 



The anterior tibial artery, after leaving 

 the trunlv, passes down the fore part of the 

 thigh to the hock and metatarsal bone, 

 where it becomes the metatarsal artery. 



The metatarsal artery pursues its course 

 downwards to about two-thirds the length 

 of the leg ; it then gains the posterior part 

 of the latter ; a little above the fetlock, it 

 divides into three vessels : one forms an arc, 

 (as in the fore extremity), from which come 

 off the recurrents, and they anastomose 

 with the posterior tibial artery ; the lateral 

 divisions become the plantar arteries. 



