956 



THE VASCULAK SYSTEM. 



Superior lateral 

 genicular artery 



Inferior lateral 

 genicular artery 



Anterior tibial 

 recurrent artery 



Anterior tibial 

 artery 



Superior medial 

 genicular artery 



Inferior medial 

 genicular artery 



Tibialis anterior 



astrocnemius 



leus 



(1) The fibular branch is a small vessel which may arise separately from the anterior 

 tibial artery, or by a common stem with the posterior tibial recurrent ; occasionally 

 it springs from the lower end of the popliteal artery, or from the posterior tibial. 



It runs upwards and later- 

 ally, behind the neck of the 

 fibula and through the fibres 

 Art. genu suprema of the soleus, and it ter- 

 .(O.T. anastomotic) m i na tes in branches which 

 supply the soleus, the pero- 

 nseus longus, and the skin 

 of the proximal and lateral 

 part of the leg. It anasto- 

 moses with the inferior 

 lateral genicular artery. 



(2) The posterior tibial 

 recurrent branch, also 

 small, and not always 

 present, runs upwards, an- 

 terior to the popliteus 

 muscle, to the back of the 

 knee-joint. It anastomoses 

 with the inferior genicular 

 branches of the popliteal, 

 and gives branches to the 

 popliteus muscle and the 

 proximal tibio-fibular 

 articulation. 



(3) The anterior tibial 

 recurrent branch arises 

 from the anterior tibial 

 artery in front of the inter- 

 osseous membrane. It runs 

 proximally and medially, be- 

 tween the proximal part of 

 the tibialis anterior and the 

 lateral condyle of the tibia, 

 accompanied by the recur- 

 rent articular branch of the 

 common peronaeal nerve, 

 and, after supplying the 

 tibialis anterior and the 

 proximal tibio-fibular articu- 

 lation, it pierces the deep 

 fascia of the leg ; it is con- 

 nected with the anastomoses 

 round the knee-joint, formed 

 by the genicular branches of 

 the popliteal artery, the de- 

 scending branch of the lat- 

 eral circumflex artery, and 

 the arteria genu suprema. 



(4) The muscular 

 branches are distributed 

 to the muscles of the front 

 of the leg, and a few small 

 branches also pass back- 

 wards to the deep surface of 

 the tibialis posterior muscle. 



(5) The cutaneous branches supply the skin of the front of the leg. 



(6) The medial anterior malleolar branch arises from the lower part of the anterior tibial 

 artery, and is smaller than its companion on the lateral side. It runs medially, posterior 

 to the tibialis anterior tendon, ramifies over the medial malleolus, anastomosing with 

 branches of the posterior tibial artery, and is distributed to the skin and to the ankle-joint. 



Deep peroneal 

 nerve 



Peronreus brevi 



Extensor digi- 

 torum longus 



Extensor liallucis 

 longus 



Perforating branch 



of peroneal 



artery 



Lateral 



malleolar artery 



Tarsal artery 



Dorsal metatarsal 

 artery 



Dorsal metatarsal 

 artery 



FIG. 783. THE ANTERIOR TIBIAL ARTERY AND ITS BRANCHES. 



Dorsalis pedis 

 rtery 



Cutaneous branch 

 Extensor digitorum 

 brevis 



