446 



ARTERIES. 



Fig. 232. The Popliteal, Posterior Tibial, 

 and Peroneal Arteries. 



surface of the femur, supplying it and the knee-joint, and anastomosing with the 



superior external articular artery. 



The external branch passes above the outer condyle, beneath the tendon of the 



Biceps, and divides into a superficial and 

 deep branch : the superficial branch sup- 

 plies the Yastus externus, and anastomoses 

 with the descending branch of the exter- 

 nal circumflex artery ; the deep branch 

 supplies the lower part of the femur and 

 knee-joint, and forms an anastomotic arch 

 across the bone with the anastomotica 

 magna artery. 



The azygos articular is a small branch, 

 arising from the popliteal artery opposite 

 the bend of the knee-joint. It pierces 

 the posterior ligament, and supplies the 

 ligaments and synovial membrane in the 

 interior of the articulation. 



The inferior articular arteries, two in 

 number, arise from the popliteal, beneath 

 the Gastrocnemius, and wind round the 

 head of the tibia, below the joint. 



The internal one passes below the inner 

 tuberosity, beneath the internal lateral 

 ligament, at the anterior border of which 

 it ascends to the front and inner side of 

 the joint, to supply the head of the tibia 

 and the articulation of the knee. 



The external one passes outwards above 

 the head of the fibula, to the front of the 

 knee-joint, lying in its course beneath the 

 outer head of the Gastrocnemius, the 

 external lateral ligament, and the tendon 

 of the Biceps muscle, and divides into 

 branches, which anastomose with the 

 artery of the opposite side, the superior 

 articular, and the recurrent branch of the 

 anterior tibial. 



ANTERIOR TIBIAL ARTERY. 



The Anterior Tibial Artery commences 

 at the bifurcation of the popliteal, at the 

 lower border of the Popliteus muscle, 

 passes forwards between the two heads 

 of the Tibialis posticus, and through the 

 aperture left between the bones at the 

 upper part of the interosseous membrane, 

 to the deep part of the front of the leg; 

 it then descends on the anterior surface 

 of the interosseous ligament, and of the 

 tibia, to the front of the ankle-joint, where 

 it lies more superficially, and becomes the 

 dorsalis pedis. A line drawn from the 

 inner side of the head of the fibula to 

 midway between the two malleoli, will 

 be parallel with the course of the artery. 



