Arcuate artery

At a glance

English

Arcuate artery

Latin (TA2)

Arteria arcuata

System

Artery

Region

Foot

Side

Paired, left and right

About the arcuate artery

The arcuate artery of the foot is a curved vessel on the dorsum of the foot. It usually leaves the dorsalis pedis artery close to the bases of the first and second metatarsal bones, just before that artery dips down into the sole. From this point it sweeps laterally in a gentle arch across the bases of the metatarsals, lying deep to the long and short extensor tendons.

Towards the lateral border of the foot it meets and anastomoses with the lateral tarsal artery, and it may also communicate with the lateral plantar artery. In this way it forms part of an arterial loop over the back of the foot that links the dorsal and plantar circulations.

From its convex front edge it gives off the second, third and fourth dorsal metatarsal arteries. These run forwards over the dorsal interosseous muscles and split near the clefts of the toes into dorsal digital arteries for the adjacent sides of the toes. The arcuate artery therefore supplies much of the skin and deep tissues of the forefoot on its dorsal side.

The vessel is variable. In a good proportion of feet it is small or absent, and the dorsal metatarsal arteries are then supplied mainly from the lateral tarsal artery or from the perforating branches of the plantar arch. This variability matters to surgeons raising flaps on the dorsum of the foot.

Course and supply

Arises from

The dorsalis pedis artery, close to the bases of the first and second metatarsal bones.

Ends in

Arches laterally across the metatarsal bases and anastomoses with the lateral tarsal artery near the lateral border of the foot.

Supplies

Gives off the second to fourth dorsal metatarsal arteries, which supply the dorsum of the forefoot and the adjacent sides of the lateral toes.