ARTERIES TO THE GREAT AND 2ND TOES BASED ON 3-DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS OF100 CADAVERIC FEET

Three-dimensional arteriography was used to analyse the arterial suppl y of the great and second toes of 100 cadaveric feet down to the micro surgical level. This information will aid in successful composite tiss ue transfers of these toes to the hand. The arterial blood supply of t he great toe came principally from the first dorsal metatarsal a. (78% ) and the first plantar metatarsal a. (22%), and secondarily from the medial tarsal aa. and the three terminal branches of the medial planta r a. For the second toe, the first dorsal metatarsal a. (78%) and the first plantar metatarsal a. (22%) supplied blood from the medial side, and the second dorsal metatarsal a. (78%) and the second plantar meta tarsal a. (22%) supplied blood from the lateral side. Seven arterial p atterns were found in the interdigital web space. The so-called genera l pattern was seen in the first web space in 65% of the feet examined. In the second web space it was found in 85%. The first intermetatarsa l space sometimes contained a large artery arising directly from the d orsalis pedis or first proximal perforating a. as well as the first do rsal and first plantar metatarsal arteries. In this space, arterial pa tterns were classified into 4 types and 9 subtypes based on the origin s and proximal courses of these arteries. The so-called standard patte rn was found in only 19% of the feet, while an arterial pattern with a common proximal trunk on the plantar side for the first dorsal and fi rst plantar metatarsal aa. was found most frequently (46%). In the sec ond intermetatarsal space the second dorsal metatarsal a. was usually located on the dorsum.