Dorsal digital veins of foot

At a glance

English

Dorsal digital veins of foot

Latin (TA2)

Venae digitales dorsales pedis

System

Vein

Region

Foot

Side

Paired, left and right

About the dorsal digital veins of foot

On the back of the toes, the dorsal digital veins form the first collecting channels of the superficial venous system of the lower limb. Each toe has a pair, running back along its medial and lateral dorsal margins in the subcutaneous tissue, just under the skin. They gather blood from a fine network over the back of the toe and from the nail bed region.

In each cleft between neighbouring toes, the two veins facing one another join to form a short common trunk, the dorsal metatarsal (common digital) vein. Just before or at this junction they receive the intercapitular veins, which pass up between the heads of the metatarsal bones from the sole and bring blood from the plantar digital veins. The common trunks then run back over the metatarsal bones and open into the dorsal venous arch of the foot.

The two outermost veins behave differently. The dorsal digital vein on the medial side of the great toe does not join a partner but runs straight back to the medial end of the arch, where it helps form the medial marginal vein and so the great saphenous vein. The vein on the lateral side of the little toe passes in the same way to the lateral end of the arch and the lateral marginal vein, the start of the small saphenous vein.

Because the sole is squeezed with every step, much blood from the plantar side of the toes is pushed upwards through the intercapitular veins into these dorsal vessels. This helps explain why the veins on the top of the foot are often more prominent than those of the sole. The dorsal digital veins are normally too fine to be used for access to the circulation, but they may become visible when the foot is warm or hangs down.

Course and drainage

Begins at

Arise from small venous networks on the back of each toe, a pair running along the dorsal margins of each digit.

Drains into

Adjacent veins unite in each toe cleft to form dorsal metatarsal veins that drain into the dorsal venous arch; the outermost veins of the great and little toes pass to the ends of the arch.

Drains

Drain the skin and superficial tissues of the dorsal surfaces of the toes, and receive blood from the sole through the intercapitular veins.