A Variant Dorsalis Pedis Artery and Its Relationship with the Deep Fibular Nerve
Published: May 1, 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2024/69831.19376
Sulochana Sakthivel, Jahira Banu, Nithya Dhakshnamoorthy
1. Additional Professor, Department of Anatomy, Jawaharlal Institute of Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India.
2. Senior Resident, Department of Anatomy, Jawaharlal Institute of Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India.
3. Junior Resident, Department of Anatomy, Jawaharlal Institute of Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India.
Correspondence Address :
Dr. Sulochana Sakthivel,
Additional Professor, Department of Anatomy, Jawaharlal Institute of Medical Education and Research, Puducherry-605006, India.
E-mail: sulo.ss@gmail.com
Abstract
During a cadaveric dissection session, a distinctive neurovascular pattern was identified in the left leg of a 66-year-old female cadaver. The Anterior Tibial Artery (ATA), while maintaining a normal origin and luminal diameter, exhibited a shortened course, terminating in the upper third of the leg. In the lower third of the leg, the Fibular Artery (FA), known as the peroneal artery, traversed through the interosseous membrane to the anterior compartment, persisting as the Dorsalis Pedis Artery (DPA). The Deep Fibular Nerve (DFN), displaying a usual course in the upper two-thirds of the leg, crossed the variant DPA posteriorly and divided into two terminal branches on its posterolateral side. The medial terminal branch proceeded to cross the artery anteriorly within the anterior tarsal tunnel. This distinctive relationship between the DFN and the variant DPA renders the nerve susceptible to compression and may result in “anterior tarsal tunnel syndrome”.
Keywords
Anterior tarsal tunnel, Anterior tibial artery, Compression, Fibular artery, Retinaculum