Common plantar digital arteries

At a glance

English

Common plantar digital arteries

Latin (TA2)

Arteriae digitales plantares communes

System

Artery

Region

Foot

Side

Paired, left and right

About the common plantar digital arteries

These short vessels lie in the sole of the forefoot, one for each of the spaces between the toes. They are the forward continuations of the plantar metatarsal arteries, which arise from the deep plantar arch. The arch itself is formed mainly by the lateral plantar artery and completed medially by the deep plantar branch of the dorsalis pedis artery, which dips down from the top of the foot through the first intermetatarsal space.

Each plantar metatarsal artery runs forwards between two metatarsal bones, lying on the interosseous muscles. Close to the heads of the metatarsals it becomes the common plantar digital artery of that space. The common vessel runs a short distance towards the cleft between two toes, lying deep to the plantar aponeurosis and beside the digital branches of the plantar nerves and the lumbrical muscles.

At the web each common plantar digital artery divides into two proper plantar digital arteries, which run along the facing sides of the two adjacent toes. Just before dividing, each common artery sends a distal perforating branch upwards between the metatarsal heads to join the dorsal metatarsal artery of the same space, so the plantar and dorsal circulations of the forefoot are linked. Proximal perforating branches from the arch connect them at the bases of the metatarsals as well.

Some descriptions treat them simply as the far end of the plantar metatarsal arteries rather than as separate vessels. They carry most of the blood to the toes, which are supplied more strongly from the sole than from the dorsum. Their course between the metatarsal heads, alongside the common plantar digital nerves, is relevant in forefoot surgery, for instance when a thickened interdigital nerve is removed.

Course and supply

Arises from

The plantar metatarsal arteries from the deep plantar arch, near the heads of the metatarsal bones.

Ends in

Each divides at a toe web into two proper plantar digital arteries for the adjacent sides of neighbouring toes.

Supplies

Carry blood from the plantar arch to the toes and supply the soft tissues of the forefoot sole near the metatarsal heads.