236 



Arteria tibialis postica. 



A. plant, int 



git. plant, int. 



584. The Plantar 



Arteries. Superficial view. 



585. The Plantar Ar- 

 teries. Deep view. 



The terminal branches of the posterial tibial artery are the inter- 

 nal and external plantar, Art. plantaris interna and Art. plantaris exte.rna. 

 The internal, smaller, lies between the J/. abductor pollids and M. flexor 

 Itrevis diyttorum, and sends off superficial and deep branches for 

 the skin and muscles at the inner border of the sole of the foot. 



The external plantar artery passes outwards above the 

 M. flexor l> rev is diyitorum, and gives off branches for the integument and 

 muscles, and the external digital, Art. digitalis plantaris externa, for 

 the outer side of the little toe. Running inwards from the base of the 

 fifth metatarsal bone to the interval between the first and second metatarsal 

 bones, it joins the dorsal artery of the foot, thereby forming the plantar 

 a r c h, Arcus plantaris. From the arch arise four i n t e r o s s e o u s arteries, 

 Arteriae interosseae plantar cs, which send perforating branches to 

 the dorsum of the foot, and then divide each into two plantar digital 

 1) ranches, for the contiguous borders of the toes. The first plantar 

 interosseous artery however, gives off three branches, supplying also the 

 inner side of the great toe with an internal plantar artery. 



