THE PLANTAR ARTERIES. 



591 



The External calcanean are the terminal branches of the peroneal artery ; they 

 pass to the outer side of the heel, and communicate with the external malleolar, 

 and, on the back of the heel, with the internal calcanean arteries. 



The nutrient artery of the tibia arises from the posterior tibial near its origin, 

 and, after supplying a few muscular branches, enters the nutrient canal of that 

 bone, which it traverses obliquely from above downward. This is the largest 

 nutrient artery of bone in the body. 



The muscular branches of the posterior tibial are distributed to the Soleus and 

 deep muscles along the back of the leg. 



The communicating branch, to join a similar branch of the peroneal, runs trans- 

 versely across the back of the tibia, about two inches above its lower end, passing 

 beneath the Flexor longus hallucis. 



The internal calcanean are several large arteries which arise from the posterior 



Communicating 



branch of 

 dorsalis pedis. 

 Its digital [ 

 branches. 



Pro. 322. The plantar arteries. Superficial view. 



FIG. 323. The plantar arteries. Deep view. 



tibial just before its division : they are distributed to the fat and integument 

 behind the tendo Achillis and about the heel, and to the muscles on the inner side 

 of the sole, anastomosing with the peroneal and internal malleolar, and, on the back 

 of the heel, with the external calcanean arteries. 



The Internal Plantar Artery (Figs. 322, 323), much smaller than the external, 

 passes forward along the inner side of the foot. It is at first situated above 1 the 

 Abductor hallucis, and then between it and the Flexor brevis digitorum, both of 

 which it supplies. At the base of the first metatarsal bone, where it has become 

 much diminished in size, it passes along the inner border of the great toe, inoscu- 

 lating with its digital branch. Small superficial digital branches accompany the 

 digital branches of the internal plantar nerve and join the plantar digital arteries 

 of the three inner spaces. 



The External Plantar Artery, much larger than the internal, passes obliquely 

 outward and forward to the base of the fifth metatarsal bone. It then turns 

 obliquely inward to the interval between the bases of the first and second 



1 This refers to the erect position of the body. In the ordinary position for dissection the artery 

 is deeper than the muscle. 



