SOLE OP THE FOOT. 245 



calcis, and contains a single compartment lined with 

 synovial membrane, through which pass the tendons of 

 the peroneus longus and brevis muscles. 



DISSECTION XIII. 



SOLE OF THE FOOT. 



The density of the cuticle, the thickness of the fat and areolar tis- 

 le superficially, and the number and smallness of the muscles, with 

 the amount of aponeurotic structure which belongs to the region, 

 wilder the dissection of the sole of the foot a slow and tedious pro- 

 A block should be put under the instep, and as the foot, by its 

 nvn weight, offers no impediment to constant unsteadiness, it should 

 fixed to the table by hooks. An incision is to be made down the 

 liddle of the sole, from the heel to the commissure of the toes; this 

 should penetrate to the plantar fascia ; the integument, with the fat, 

 should then be removed, and, as a preliminary step, this fascia should 

 cleanly dissected, and the deposits of fat removed from its inter- 

 tices, carefully looking out for the nerves which nearly resemble its 

 ibres in color. 



The plantar fascia is a thick aponeurosis which expands 

 >ver the whole sole of the foot, lying between the muscles 

 md the adipose tissue beneath the integument ; it is thicker 

 in the centre than at the sides of the foot, and dividing 

 into slips anteriorly, is attached to the base of the first 

 >halanx of each toe by lateral processes, between which 

 LSS the flexor tendons ; these are crossed by some trans- 

 ^erse bands of fibres which form the rudimentary web of 

 Lhe commissures of the toes ; between the slips, the nerves 

 destined to the toes, and the lumbricales muscles will be 

 found. 



The plantar fascia may he removed by dividing it transversely and 

 dissecting it up from the subjacent attachments ; this will expose the 

 muscles beneath. In direct relation with the central portion of the 

 plantar fascia is the flexor brevis digitorum. 



The FLEXOR BREVIS DIGITORUM PEDIS arises from the 

 under side of the os calcis and from the plantar fascia ; it 

 divides into four tendons, which are inserted into the bases 

 of the second phalanges of the outer four toes ; they are 

 each perforated to permit the passage through them of the 

 tendons of the long flexor, which is inserted into the last 

 phalanx. 



21* 



