The arcuate artery of the foot (metatarsal artery) arises from

dorsalis pedis In human anatomy, the dorsalis pedis artery (dorsal artery of foot) is a blood vessel of the lower limb. It arises from the anterior tibial artery, and ends at the first intermetatarsal space (as the first dorsal metatarsal artery and the deep pla ...

slightly anterior to the

lateral tarsal artery The lateral tarsal artery (tarsal artery) arises from the dorsalis pedis, as that vessel crosses the navicular bone; it passes in an arched direction lateralward, lying upon the tarsal bones, and covered by extensor hallucis brevis and extensor di ...

, specifically over the naviculocuneiform joint; it passes lateralward, over the bases of the lateral four

metatarsal The metatarsal bones, or metatarsus, are a group of five long bones in the foot, located between the tarsal bones of the hind- and mid-foot and the phalanges of the toes. Lacking individual names, the metatarsal bones are numbered from the med ...

bones, beneath the tendons of the

extensor digitorum brevis The extensor digitorum brevis muscle (sometimes EDB) is a muscle on the upper surface of the foot that helps extend digits 2 through 4. Structure The muscle originates from the forepart of the upper and lateral surface of the calcaneus (in front ...

, its direction being influenced by its point of origin; and it terminates in the

. It communicates with the plantar arteries through the perforating arteries of the foot. It runs with the

lateral terminal branch of deep fibular nerve The deep fibular nerve (also known as deep peroneal nerve) begins at the bifurcation of the common fibular nerve between the fibula and upper part of the fibularis longus, passes infero-medially, deep to the extensor digitorum longus, to the anteri ...

. This vessel gives off the second, third, and fourth

dorsal metatarsal arteries The arcuate artery of the foot gives off the second, third, and fourth dorsal metatarsal arteries, which run forward upon the corresponding Interossei dorsales; in the clefts between the toes, each divides into two dorsal digital branches for the ...

. It is not present in all individuals.

References

External links

* http://www.dartmouth.edu/~humananatomy/figures/chapter_17/17-3.HTM Arteries of the lower limb {{circulatory-stub