952 



THE VASCULAE SYSTEM. 



A. et V., poplitea -i 

 A. genu superior j 

 medialis "" 

 M. gastrocnemius 

 (capnt late rale) "" 

 M. semi- .. 

 membranosus 

 Lig. popliteum__ 

 arcuatum 



A. genu inferior 

 lateralis 



M. popliteus- 



(c) The inferior lateral genicular artery runs laterally, across the popliteus muscle 

 and anterior to the plantaris and the lateral head of the gastroenemius ; then, turning 

 forwards, it is joined by the inferior lateral genicular nerve, and passes to the medial side 



of the fibular collateral ligament. 

 M. semitendinosus It terminates by anastomosing 

 N. tibialis with its fellow of the opposite 



side and with the superior lateral 

 genicular and anterior tibial re- 

 current arteries. 



(d) The inferior medial geni- 

 cular artery passes medially, 

 distal to the medial condyle 

 of the tibia, along the proximal 

 border of the popliteus and in 

 front of the medial head of the 

 gastroenemius, to the medial side 

 of the knee, where it turns 

 forwards, between the bone and 

 the tibial collateral ligament, and 

 terminates anteriorly by anasto- 

 mosing with its fellow of the 

 opposite side, with the recurrent 

 branch of the anterior tibial 

 artery, and with the superior 

 medial genicular artery. 



(e) The arteria genu media 

 passes directly forwards from the 

 front of the popliteal artery, 

 pierces the central part of the 

 posterior surface of the capsule 

 of the knee-joint, and enters the 

 intercondylar fossa. It supplies 

 branches to the crucial ligaments 

 and to the synovial membrane, 

 and is accompanied by the medial 

 genicular branch of the tibial 

 nerve, and sometimes by the 

 genicular branch of the obturator 

 nerve. 



(3) Cutaneous branches are 

 distributed to the skin over the 

 popliteal fossa. One of these, 

 the superficial sural artery, runs 

 along the middle of the back of 

 the calf with the vena saphena 

 parva. 



A. tibialis posterior ---i,_ 



M. soleus !- 



M. flexor digitorum 

 longus 



A. tibialis posterior.. 



A. genu superior 

 lateralis 



M. gastroenemius 



M. plantaris 



A. genu inferior 



lateralis 



N. peronseus 



conimunis 



_. M. soleus 



.. M. soleus 



i A. peronsea 



M. peronseus 

 "^ longus -. 



M. tibialis posterior __; 





M. flexor hallucis 

 longus 



M. flexor digitorum 

 longus" 



Ramus com- 

 municans -- 



Tibia.. 



Tendon of M. tibialis 

 posterior^" 



N. plantaris medialis,- 



A. plantaris medialis 



A. plantaris lateralis,-" 



N. plantaris lateralis^'' 



Lig. laciniatum-^'' 



Calcaneus. -" 



Tendon of M. 

 _,--"" peronseus longus 



- M. peronseus brevis 



A. peronsea 



M. flexor hallucis 

 "~ longus 

 _ Lig. talotibulare 



L, --""' posterius 



__,.Retinaculum mm. 

 peronneorum 

 superior 



. .___ Bursa tendinis 



"~ calcanei 



ARTERIA TIBIALIS POSTERIOR. 



-..Tendo calcaneus 



FIG. 781. THE POPLITEAL AND POSTERIOR' TIBIAL ARTERIES 

 AND THEIR BRANCHES. 



The posterior tibial 

 artery, the larger of the two 

 terminal branches of the pop- 

 liteal, commences at the distal 

 border of the popliteus and 



terminates midway between the tip of the medial malleolus and the most pro- 

 minent part of the heel, at the distal border of the laciniate ligament (O.T. internal 

 annular). It ends by dividing into the medial and the lateral plantar arteries, 

 which pass onwards to the sole of the foot. 



The posterior tibial artery runs distally and medially, in the posterior part of 

 the leg, between the superficial and deep layers of muscles and covered, posteriorly, 

 by the deep intermuscular fascia which intervenes between them. 



