THE ANTEKIOK TIBIAL AKTEEY. 



957 



Peronseus brevis 

 Extensor digitoruin 

 longus 



Anterior peroneal 

 artery 



Lateral nialleolar 

 artery 



Anterior tibial 



artery 



Extensor 



hallucis 



longus 



Tibialis anterior 



Medial 

 malleolar artery 



Extensor 

 digitorum- 

 brevis 



Tarsal artery. 



Dorsalis pedis 



artery 



(7) The lateral anterior malleolar branch, more constant and larger than the medial, 

 passes laterally, posterior to the extensor digitorum longus and peroneeus tertius, towards 

 the lateral malleolus. It anastomoses with the perforating branch of the peroneal artery 

 and with the tarsal artery, and supplies the ankle-joint and the adjacent articulations. 



Dorsalis Pedis Artery. The dorsal artery of the foot is the direct continuation 

 of the anterior tibial ; it commences opposite the front of the ankle-joint, and 

 extends to the posterior 

 extremity of the first in- 

 terosseous space, where it 

 divides into the first dorsal 

 metatarsal and the pro- 

 funda branch. 



It is covered super- 

 ficially by skin and fascia, 

 including the cruciate 

 ligament, and it is crossed, 

 just before it reaches the 

 first interosseous space, 

 by the tendon of the ex- 

 tensor hallucis brevis. It 

 rests upon the anterior 

 ligament of the ankle, the 

 head of the talus, the talo- 

 navicular ligament, the 

 dorsum of the navicular 

 bone, and the dorsal 

 naviculo- cuneiform and 

 the inter-cuneiform liga- 

 ments between the first 

 and second cuneiform 

 bones. On its lateral side 

 is the medial terminal 

 branch of the deep pero- 

 nseal nerve (O.T. anterior 

 tibial), which intervenes 

 between it and the ex- 

 tensor digitorum brevis 

 and most medial tendon 

 of the extensor digitorum 

 longus. On its medial 

 side it is in relation with 

 the tendon of the extensor 

 hallucis longus.' Two venae 

 comites, one on each side, 

 accompany the artery. 



Branches On the FlG - ? 84 - THE DO R SALIS PEDIS ARTERY AND ITS BRANCHES. 



dorsum of the foot the 



dorsalis pedis artery gives off cutaneous branches, lateral and medial tarsal branches, the 



arcuate branch, and the first dorsal metatarsal and the profunda branch. 



(1) Cutaneous branches, two or three in number, are distributed to the skin on the 

 dorsum and medial side of the foot ; they anastomose with branches of the medial plantar 

 artery. 



(2) The tarsal branches, medial and lateral. The medial tarsal branches are small 

 vessels given off from the medial side of the artery. They pass to the medial border of 

 the foot and anastomose with branches of the medial plantar artery. The lateral tarsal 

 branch is given off opposite the head of the talus ; it runs laterally, deep to the extensor 

 hallucis brevis and the extensor digitorum brevis, supplying those muscles and the tarsal 

 joints, and it anastomoses with the perforating branch of the peroneal, the arcuate, and 

 lateral plantar arteries, and with the lateral malleolar artery. 



