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Dorsal artery of the foot
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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The dorsalis pedis artery is a continuation of the anterior tibial artery and runs anteriorly from the ankle joint between the tendons of the long extensor of the fingers in a separate fibrous canal. At this point, the artery lies under the skin and is accessible for determining the pulse. On the dorsum of the foot, it goes to the first interosseous space, where it divides into terminal branches:
- the first dorsal metatarsal artery (a. metatarsals dorsalis I) gives rise to three dorsal digital arteries (aa. digitales dorsales), which go to both sides of the dorsal side of the big toe and the medial side of the second toe;
- The deep plantar artery (a. plantaris profunda) passes through the first intermetatarsal space onto the sole, piercing the first dorsal interosseous muscle and anastomosing with the plantar arch.
The dorsal artery of the foot also gives off the tarsal arteries - lateral and medial (aa. tarsales lateralis et medialis) to the lateral and medial edges of the foot and the arcuate artery (a. arcuata), located at the level of the metatarsophalangeal joints under the tendons of the short extensor of the fingers and anastomosing with the lateral metatarsal artery. From the arcuate artery towards the toes, the II - IV dorsal metatarsal arteries (aa. metatarsalis dorsales, II-IV) branch off, each of which at the beginning of the interdigital space divides into two dorsal digital arteries (aa. digitales dorsales), directed to the dorsal sides of adjacent toes II-V). From each of the dorsal digital arteries, perforating branches to the plantar metatarsal arteries branch off through the intermetatarsal spaces.
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