620 



THE BLOOD-VASCULAR SYSTEM OF THE OX 



digital artery. The external plantar artery (A. plantaris lateralis) is small. It 

 descends along the outer border of the deep flexor tendon with the external plantar 

 nerve, concurs with the perforating tarsal and the internal plantar arteries in the 

 formation of the proximal plantar arch, and gives branches to the rete tarsi 

 dorsale. Continuing downward along the deep flexor tendon as the external 



.d\ 



Fig. 476. — Arteries of Distal Part of Right 

 Hind Limb of Ox, Anterior View. 

 a. Anterior tibial artery; 6, proximal perforating 

 metatarsal artery; c, dorsal metatarsal artery; d, 

 (ior.sal common digital artery; e, e', dorsal proper 

 digital arteries. 



Fig. 477. — Arteries of Distal Part of Right 

 Hind Limb of Ox, Posterior Vif-w. 

 e, Saphenous artery; /,/', internal and external 

 plantar arteries; g, a' , internal and external superficial 

 plantar metatarsal arteries; h, deep plantar metatarsal 

 artery; i, j, internal and external plantar digital 

 arteries; k, plantar common digital artery; /, l' , internal 

 and external plantar digital arteries. 



superficial plantar metatarsal artery, it assists in forming the distal plantar arch 

 and becomes the external digital artery. 



The posterior tibial artery is rehitively small and is distributed chiefly' to the 

 muscles on the posterior surface of the tibia. Lower down it is replaced by the 

 saphenous artery as described above. 



The anterior tibial artery has the same course as in ihv horse. It is continued 

 down the groove on tlie front of the metatarsal lione as the dorsal metatarsal 

 artery. This is the chief artery of the region and is accompanied bj^ two veins. 

 It detaches the proximal perforating metatarsal artery, which passes through the 

 proximal foramen of the metatarsal bone and concurs with the superficial plantar 



