Posterior tibial-the posterior tibial artery passes from the posterior compartment of the leg, behind the medial malleolus, before entering the foot. in the foot, it splits to form the medial and lateral plantar arteries. remember-this is one of the structures that is lined up behind the flexor retinaculum in a very characteristic way. to review, the order here is, from anterior to posterior: tendon of tibialis posterior, tendon of flexor digitorum longus, posterior tibial artery (and vein), tibial nerve, and tendon of flexor hallucis longus. so, t, d, a, n, h equals tom, dick, and harry.
the anterior tibial artery comes from the anterior compartment of the leg-it changes name to the dorsalis pedis artery at the level of the ankle. if the spear had stabbed the student on the dorsum of the foot or leg, either above or below the ankle, one of these two arteries might have been injured. the fibular artery is a branch of posterior tibial artery that supplies the lateral compartment of the leg-an injury to the lateral leg might damage this artery. the medial plantar artery is a branch of the posterior tibial artery in the foot-if the spear had stabbed her medial foot on the plantar surface, this is the artery that might have been injured.
