1012 



THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 



toe. The second (common digital) nerve gives a twig to the first lumbrical and bifurcates 

 to supply the adjacent sides of the first and second toes. The third supplies the adjacent sides 

 of the second and third toes, and the fourth, after connecting with the superficial branch of the 

 lateral plantar nerve, divides to supply the adjacent sides of the third and fourth toes. All the 

 proper digital nerves run along the sides of the toes and lie below the corresponding arteries; 

 they supply the joints of the toes, and each gives off a dorsal branch to the skin over the second 

 and terminal phalanges and to the bed of the nail. All of them give fibres terminating in 

 numerous Pacinian corpuscles. 



The lateral plantar nerve is the smaller of the two terminal branches of the 

 tibial nerve. It commences at the lower border of the laciniate (internal annular) 



Fig. 772. — Superficial Nerves in the Sole of the Foot. (Ellis.) 



Abductor hallucis^ 



Flexor digitorum brevis 

 Medial plantar nerve 

 Medial plantar artery 



Proper plantar digital 

 nerve to medial side 

 of hallux 



Abductor minimi digiti 



Lateral plantar artery 

 Lateral plantar nerve 



Proper plantar digital 

 branches of the 

 lateral plantar 



Proper plantar digital 

 branches of the 

 medial plantar 



ligament, or under cover of the origin of the abductor hallucis, and passes forward 

 and latoralward to the base of the fifth metatarsal bone, where it divides into a 

 superficial and a deep branch (fig. 772). As it runs forward and lateralward it 

 it is superficial to the tendon of the flexor hallucis longus and to the quadratus 

 plants (flexor accessorius), and deep to the flexor digitorum brevis. At its ter- 

 mination it lies in the interval between the flexor digitorum brevis and abductor 

 digiti (piinti. 



Branches. — From the trunk of the lateral plantar nerve muscular, superficial 

 and de(!p, and articular branches arc given off. 



