AN ANATOMICAL STUDY ON DORSALIS PEDIS ARTERY

Background:The study of Dorsalis pedis artery and variations in its branching pattern has been reported sporadically. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the arterial supply on the dorsum of the foot. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out on forty two dissected limbs of unknown sex and age from the department of Anatomy,BMCRI,Bangalore. Results and Discussion:The incidence of classical text book description was found to be very less in the present study. In 16.67% of cases the arcuate artery was completely absent, which was compensated by two large lateral tarsal arteries that provided the dorsal metatarsal arteries. In 9.52% of cases the dorsalis pedis artery was absent. Conclusion:The findings suggest that the lateral aspect of the dorsum of the foot has a poor nourishment.