The anterior tibial artery is an artery of the lower limb.
It supplies the anterior compartment of the leg and the dorsal foot.
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The anterior tibial artery is a branch of the popliteal artery. It arises at the lower border of the popliteus muscle in the posterior leg.
After its origin, the anterior tibial artery passes through a gap in the interosseous membrane to enter the anterior compartment of the leg.
It then descends through the anterior compartment. It passes initially in a plane between the tibialis anterior and extensor digitorum longus muscles, and then distally between the tibialis anterior and extensor hallucis longus.
It continues onto the dorsum of the foot, where it becomes the dorsalis pedis artery.
Fig 1
Arterial supply to the anterior and posterior leg is via the popliteal artery and its branches.
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The anterior tibial artery supplies the anterior compartment of the leg and the dorsal foot through the following branches:
- Posterior tibial recurrent artery – supplies the proximal tibiofibular joint.
- Anterior tibial recurrent artery – contributes to the patellar anastomosis supplying the knee joint.
- Muscular branches – supply the muscles of the anterior and lateral compartments of the leg.
- Perforating branches – supply the overlying skin and subcutaneous tissue.
- Anterior medial malleolar artery – anastomoses with the posterior tibial and medial plantar arteries.
- Anterior lateral malleolar artery – joins the perforating branch of the fibular artery as well as the ascending branches of the lateral tarsal artery.
Fig 2
The anterior tibial artery supplies the muscles of the anterior compartment of the leg.