246 



MTOLOGY. 



-I' 



Fio. 86. 



Anterior tibial gronp of mtucles of the 

 right limb, seen from before and the out- 

 Bide. a, Blexor metaiarsi ; 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 ; &, Ex- 

 tensor pedis ; V, Its tendon; c, Peroneus; 

 c', Point where its tendon joins that of 

 the extensor pedis ; d. Extensor pedis 

 brevis ; e, Superior, and /, Inferior thick 

 j>ortioa8 of the annular ligament. 



A ttachments, — r The tendinou s 

 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, 3, 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. 



