| Artery: Dorsalis pedis artery | |
|---|---|
| Anterior tibial artery, dorsalis pedis artery and the muscles and bones of the leg (anterior view). | |
| Latin | arteria dorsalis pedis |
| Gray's | subject #161 636 |
| Supplies | dorsal surface of the foot |
| Source | anterior tibial artery |
In human anatomy, the dorsalis pedis artery (dorsal artery of foot), is a blood vessel of the lower limb that carries oxygenated blood from the dorsal surface of the foot. It arises at the anterior aspect of the ankle joint and is a continuation of the anterior tibial artery. It terminates at the proximal part of the first intermetatarsal space, where it divides into two branches, the first dorsal metatarsal artery and the deep plantar artery.
Along its course, it is accompanied by a deep vein, the dorsalis pedis vein.
The dorsalis pedis artery pulse can be palpated readily lateral to the extensor hallucis longus tendon (or medially to the extensor digitorum tendons) on the dorsal surface of the foot, distal to the dorsal most prominence of the navicular bone which serves as a reliable landmark for palpation.[1] It is often examined, by physicians, when assessing whether a given patient has peripheral vascular disease. It is absent, unilaterally or bilaterally, in 2-3 % of young healthy individuals.[2]
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