230 Anatomy of the Rabbit. 



The tibial nerve lies on the medial suiface of the head ot the plan- 

 taris and afterwards on the media,l surfaces of the popliteus and flexor 

 digit orumlongus. 



5. Muscles arising from the foot and inserted on the individual 

 digits. 



(a) The lumbricales. Origin: Tendon of the flexor digitorum 

 longus. Insertion: Medial surfaces of the first phalanges 

 of the three lateral digits. 



(b) The interossei- (metatarsi). Origin: From the dorsal 

 portion of the tendon-sheath of the flexor digitorum longus. 

 Insertion: Heads of the four metatarsals. 



Vessels and Nerves of the Leg and Foot. 



*The great saphenous artery passes distad on the medial 

 surface of the leg, and is continued as the posterior tibial artery 

 (a. tibialis posterior) around the medial malleolus to the plantar 

 surface of the foot. Above the ankle-joint it gives off the malleolar 

 artery (a. malleolaris) to the posterior surface of the distal end of 

 the tibiofibula. 



The popliteal artery, the continuation of the femoral, passes 

 between the medial head of the gastrocnemius on the one hand and 

 the lateral head and the plantaris on the other, reaching the anterior 

 surface of the popliteus, and afterwards the anterior surfaces of the 

 tibia and fibula by passing between their proximal ends. It dis- 

 tributes branches to the muscles about the knee-joint, including a 

 branch to the distal portion of the vastus lateralis, which is given 

 off at about the point of origin of the small saphenous artery. 

 It then continues as the anterior tibial artery. The vessel 

 appears in front of the interosseous ligament of the leg and of the 

 peronaeus brevis, and continues to the dorsum of the foot after 

 passing beneath the crural ligament. A large branch, given off in 

 the upper part of the leg also reaches the dorsum of the foot from a 

 more lateral position. 



The small saphenous artery (a. saphena parva) appears on the 

 proximal , portion of the posterolateral margin of the leg, running 

 along the border of the lateral head of the gastrocnemius in company 

 with the corresponding vein and the lesser saphenous nerve. 



