Lower limb
Lateral plantar artery
Arteria plantaris lateralis
- Origin
- Larger terminal branch of the posterior tibial artery arising in the tarsal tunnel
- Insertion
- Courses obliquely anterolaterally between flexor digitorum brevis and quadratus plantae to form the deep plantar arch at the base of the 5th metatarsal
- Function
- Dominant arterial source for the plantar foot and digits via formation of the deep plantar arch
- Innervation
- Sympathetic vasomotor fibers carried by the lateral plantar nerve
- Movement & chain
- Protected deep within the central plantar compartment
- Palpation
- Not palpable through the dense plantar aponeurosis and foot pads
- Clinical
- Forms the dominant contributor to the plantar arterial arch; must be protected during plantar fasciotomy and deep abscess drainage
- Segmental innervation
- L5–S2 spinal roots
- In clinical practice
- Major arterial target evaluated prior to transmetatarsal amputation and foot revascularization
- Region in the model
- Lower limb