678 



NERVES OF THE LOWER LIMB. 



posterior tibial nerve, it is directed forwards under cover of the first part of 

 the abductor of the great toe, and, passing between that muscle and the 

 short flexor of the toes, it gives off the internal cutaneous branch for the 

 great toe, and divides opposite the middle of the foot into three digital 

 branches. The outermost of these branches communicates with the external 

 plantar nerve. 



Brandies. a. Small muscular branches are supplied to the abductor pollicis and 

 flexor brevis digitorum. 



b. Small plantar cutaneous branches perforate the plantar fascia to ramify in the 

 integument of the sole of the foot. 



c. The digital branches are named numerically from within outwards : the three 

 outer pass from under cover of the plantar fascia near the clefts between the toes. 

 The first or innermost branch continues single, but the other three bifurcate to supply 

 the adjacent sides of two toes. These branches require separate notice. 



The first digital branch is that destined for the inner side of the great toe ; it 

 becomes subcutaneous farther back than the others, and sends off a branch to the 

 flexor brevis pollicis. 



Fi ? . 448. 



Fig. 448. SUPERFICIAL AND DEEP DISTRIBUTION OP 

 THE PLANTAR NERVES (from Hirschf'eld and Le- 

 veille, slightly modified). J 



The flexor communis brevis, the abductor pollicis 

 and abductor minimi digiti, a part of the tendons 

 of the flexor communis longus, together with the lum- 

 bricales muscles, have been removed so as to bring 

 into view the trans versus and interossei in the middle 

 of the foot. 



a, upon the posterior extremity of the flexor com- 

 munis brevis, near which, descending over the heel, 

 are seen ramifications of the calcaneal branch of 

 the posterior tibial nerve ; b, abductor pollicis ; c, 

 tendon of the flexor communis longus divided close to 

 the place where it is joined by the flexor accessorius ; 

 d, abductor minimi digiti ; e, tendon of the flexor 

 longus pollicis between the two portions of the flexor 

 brevis pollicis ; 1, internal plantar nerve giving some 

 twigs to the abductor pollicis, and 1', a branch to the 

 flexor communis brevis, cut as it lies on the acces- 

 sorius ; 2, inner branch of the internal plantar nerve 

 giving branches to the abductor pollicis, flexor brevis 

 pollicis, and forming, 2', the internal cutaneous of 

 the great toe ; 3, continuation of the internal plantar 

 nerve, dividing subsequently into three branches, 

 which form, 3', 3', 3', the collateral plantar cutaneous 

 nerves of the first and second, second and third, and 

 third and fourth toes ; 4, the external plantar nerve ; 

 4', its branch to the abductor minimi digiti ; 5, twig 

 of union between the plantar nerves ; 6, superficial 

 branch of the external plantar nerve ; subsequently 

 dividing into 6', 6', the collateral cutaneous nerves of 



the fourth and fifth toes and the external nerve of the fifth ; 7, deep branch of the 

 external plantar nerve giving twigs to the adductor pollicis, the interossei, the trans- 

 versalis, and to the third and fourth lumbricales muscles. 



The second branch having reached the interval between the first and second meta- 

 tarsal bones, furnishes a small twig to the first lumbricalis muscle, and bifurcates 

 behind the cleft between the great toe and the second to supply their contiguous 



The third digital branch, corresponding with the second interosseous space, gives 

 a slender filament to the second lumbricalis muscle, and divides in a manner similar 



