THE LEG 



349 



tendons of the extensor hallucis longus and tibialis anterior. 

 It inosculates with branches from the posterior tibial artery. 



Arteria Dorsalis Pedis. The dorsal artery of the foot is 

 the continuation of the anterior tibial. It begins, anterior to 

 the ankle joint, at a 

 point midway be- 

 tween the two mal- 

 leoli, and it extends 

 forwards, upon the 

 dorsal part of the 

 talus, and across the 

 navicular, and the 

 second cuneiform 

 bone, to the posterior 

 part of the first in- 

 terosseous space. 

 There it leaves the 

 dorsum of the foot, 

 by dipping plantar- 

 wards between the 

 two heads of the 

 first dorsal interosse- 

 ous muscle, to reach 

 the plantar region, 

 where it unites with 

 the lateral plantar 

 artery in the forma- 

 tion of the plantar 

 arch. Its relations 

 on the dorsum of the 

 foot are very simple. 



(1) It lies in the in- 

 terval between the 

 tendon of the exten- 

 sor hallucis longus on 

 the medial side and 

 the most medial ten- 

 don of the extensor digitorum longus on the lateral side. 



(2) It is crossed first by the proximal band of the cruciate 

 ligament, then by the distal band, and near its termination it 

 is crossed by the tendon of the extensor hallucis brevis ; with 

 those exceptions the vessel is covered merely by the integu- 



M. tibialis anterior 



M. extensor digitorum longus 



M. peronaeus brevis 

 M. peronaeus longus 



M. extensor hallucis longus 



Tibia 



M. peronaeus tertius 

 Fibula 



Transverse ligament 

 Extensor hallucis longus 

 Dorsalis pedis artery 

 Cruciate ligament 

 Deep peroneal nerve 

 Tibialis anterior 



Lat. br. of deep 



peroneal nerve 

 Extensor hallucis 

 longus 

 Peronaeus tertius 



M. extensor digitorum 

 "brevis 

 Arcuate artery 



lendons of extensor 

 iigitorum longus 



FIG. 156. Dissection of the Dorsum of the Foot. 



