45 



its S shaped ctirve on the medial side of the leg, anterior to the tuber calsis. 

 Twra back or remove the covering aponeurosis taking care not to cut the 

 A. and V. saphena, draw aside the small internal head of the flexor perforans 

 (M. flexor digitalis longus or flexor acessorius) and trace the artery as far 

 as possible, without cutting muscles, towards its origin. Now retiuning 

 to the origin of the artery, draw aside, and at the same time cut the flexor 

 perforans from its attachment to the posterior face of the tibia sufficiently 

 to expose the artery. 



Branches of the A. tibialis posterior. 



(i) Rami musculares to the Mm. popliteus and perforans. 



(2) A. nutritia tibiae enters the nutrient foramen of the tibia. 



(3) A. tarsea lateralis is a small branch which arises at the first flexure 

 of the sigmoid portion of the tibialis posterior. It runs between the tibia 

 and the flexor perforans and is distributed by several small branches to the 

 tendon and the lateral surface of the tarsus. 



(4) One or more small branches from the convexity of the first curve 

 of the sigmoid portion of the artery to the medial surface of the tarsus. 



(5) A. tibialis recurrens is a small artery which arises from the second 

 convexity of the sigmoid curve of the A. tibilias posterior. It extends 

 proximad along the N. tibialis and anastomoses with either the A. saphena 

 or with a branch frora the A. femoris caudalis that accompanies the N. 

 tibialis. 



(6) A branch given off from the second convexity of the sigmoid curve 

 passes between the tendo Achillis and the flexor perforans and is distributed 

 to the tendon and the region of the tuber calsis. The A. tibialis posterior 

 ends in two small terminal branches — ^the A. plantaris medialis and the 

 A. plantaris lateralis. 



A. tibialis anterior. Dissect between the M. peroneus and the tibialis 

 anterior and draw aside the latter muscle. The A. tibialis anterior is the 

 larger of the two terminal branches of the A. poplitea. It passes through 

 the proximal part of the tibio-fibular arch and descends, with two large 

 veins, on the antero-lateral face of the tibia beneath the M. tibialis anterior. 

 At the tarsus the artery gives off the A. tarsea perforans which passes 

 through the tarsal canal and anastomoses with the two plantar arteries 

 or sometines with only the plantaris externus to form the arcus plantarus or 

 plantar arch. The trunk of the A. tibialis anterior is continued along the 

 metatarsus as the A. metatarsea dorsalis (lateralis). The A. tibialis 

 anterior supplies branches to the Mm. extensor pedis, tibialis anterior, and 

 several branches to the tarsal joint. Near its middle the A. tibialis anterior 

 gives off a variable branch — ^A. peronea — ^which descends along the fibula 



