DISSECTION OP THE POSTEEIOR LIMB. 79 



nerves at the side of the flexor tendon are un-named and slender (Plate 

 19). The other two are termed the plantar interosseous metatarsal 

 arteries. This may be regarded as the most typical arratigement of the 

 arteries here, but it is not constant. Sometimes the inner plantar 

 artery is directly continued as the satellite vessel of the internal plantar 

 nerve in the metatarsus, the outer plantar artery alone uniting with the 

 perforating metatarsal artery. 



The External Tlantae Interosseous Artery is very slender. It 

 descends, as beforesaid, between the outer splint bone and the edge of 

 the suspensory ligament ; and above the fetlock it anastomoses with a 

 recurrent twig from the large metatarsal artery. 



The Internal Plantar Interosseous Artery, a vessel of consider- 

 able size, descends between the inner splint bone and the edge of the 

 suspensory ligament. Above the lower extremity of that bone it inclines 

 towards the middle of the limb to join the large metatarsal artery. It 

 supplies the nutrient artery of the large metatarsal bone. 



The Digital Arteries (Plate 19). These arteries separate at an 

 acute angle, in passing backwards between the branches of bifurcation 

 of the suspensory ligament. For the remainder of their course they 

 are identical with the homonymous vessels of the fore limb. For their 

 description, turn to page 28. 



The Digital Veins (Plate 19). These are the satellites of the digital 

 arteries, in front of which they ascend. They drain away the blood 

 from the venous plexuses within the hoof; and, uniting with one 

 another above the fetlock, they form an arch between the deep flexor and 

 the suspensory ligament. From this arch spring the metatarsal veins. 

 The Metatarsal Veins are three in number : — 



1. The Internal Metatarsal Vein ascends in front of the inner edge of 

 the deep flexor tendon, in company with the internal plantar nerve and 

 a slender artery. The vein is the most anterior of the three structures, 

 and the slender artery is between the vein and the nerve. At the 

 upper third of the metatarsus the vein deviates forwards, crossing the 

 inner splint bone and the large metatarsal obliquely, to gain the inner 

 side of the hock, above which it is continued as the anterior root of the 

 internal saphena vein. The course of the vein over the hock is generaUy 

 apparent in the living animal, and when very prominent it constitutes 

 the so-called " blood-spavin." 



2. The External Metatarsal Vein (Plate 19) ascends on the inner edge 

 of the deep flexor, having the same relationship to nerve and artery as 

 the internal vein. After communicating with the deep vein, it is con- 

 tinued through the tarsal sheath to become the posterior root of the 



internal saphena. 



3. The Deei:> Metatarsal Vein ascends between the suspensory liga- 

 ment and the large metatarsal bone ; and passing from the back to the 



