246 



MYOLOGY. 



PIG. 85. 



Anterior tibial group of muscles of the 

 right limb, seen from before and the out- 

 side, a, Flexor metatarsi ; a', Tendon to 

 the cuboid ; and a", Tendon to the meta- 

 tarsus, from its funicular portion ; a'", 

 Tendon of its fleshy portion, sending a 

 straight slip to the metatarsus, and an 

 oblique one to the cuneiform bone ; 6, Ex- 

 tensor pedis ; &', Its tendon ; c, Peroneus ; 

 c', Point where its tendon joins that of 

 the extensor pedis ; d, Extensor pedis 

 brevis ; e, Superior, and/, Inferior thick 

 portions of the annular ligament. 



Attachments. The tendinous 

 portion arises from the depression 

 between the trochlea and condyle of 

 the femur, and lies in the superior 

 tibial groove, clothed above by a 

 reflection of one of the synovial 

 membranes of the stifle joint ; below 

 this point it gives attachment to 

 fibres of the fleshy portion and of 

 the extensor pedis ; in front of the 

 astragalus it forms a ring, through 

 which the tendon of the fleshy por- 

 tion passes ; at the tarsus it bifur- 

 cates, a very strong slip being at- 

 tached to the large metatarsal bone, 

 and a small one, which inclines out- 

 wards, to the cuboid bone. 



The fleshy portion arises from 

 the head of the tibia, and its groove, 

 also from the tendinous part, receiv- 

 ing slips from the latter ; its tendon 

 of insertion, after passing through 

 the above-named ring, bifurcates, 

 and is inserted by a broad portion 

 to the front of the great metatarsal 

 bone, and by a smaller slip, which 

 winds inwards, to the small cunei- 

 form bone. 



Relation. Anteriorly with the 

 extensor pedis ; posteriorly with the 

 external aspect of the tibia, and the 

 anterior tibial artery. 



Action. It flexes the tarsal joint. 

 The tendinous portion may be re- 

 garded as a strong fibrous com- 

 munication between the femur and 

 the metatarsus, which, when the 

 stifle joint is flexed, becomes tensed, 

 and mechanically repeats the action 

 upon the joint below. 



