Medial plantar artery

At a glance

English

Medial plantar artery

Latin (TA2)

Arteria plantaris medialis

System

Artery

Region

Foot

Side

Paired, left and right

About the medial plantar artery

The medial plantar artery is one of the two branches into which the posterior tibial artery divides beneath the flexor retinaculum, at the medial side of the heel. It is much smaller than its partner, the lateral plantar artery, and keeps to the inner border of the foot.

From its origin it runs forwards close to abductor hallucis. At first it lies deep to that muscle, then it passes in the groove between abductor hallucis and flexor digitorum brevis, giving branches to both. The medial plantar nerve runs beside it on its lateral side. By the time it reaches the first metatarsal base it has become a slender vessel.

It usually divides into two branches. A superficial branch becomes the plantar digital artery of the inner border of the great toe, and there it anastomoses with the first of the dorsal metatarsal vessels. A deep branch passes forwards to help supply the plantar metatarsal arteries. Fine superficial twigs also accompany the digital nerves from the medial plantar nerve and end by joining the plantar metatarsal vessels of the first, second and third spaces.

The artery supplies the muscles of the medial side of the sole, the skin over the instep and the medial border of the foot. The skin it supplies over the non-weight-bearing arch can be raised as a medial plantar flap, valued for covering the heel with tissue of the same kind.

Course and supply

Arises from

The posterior tibial artery, as its smaller terminal branch beneath the flexor retinaculum.

Ends in

Ends near the great toe by superficial and deep branches that join the first dorsal metatarsal and plantar metatarsal arteries.

Supplies

Supplies abductor hallucis, flexor digitorum brevis, the medial sole and the medial side of the great toe.