Morphological Study on the Dorsalis Pedis and First Dorsal Metatarsal Arteries in Koreans

Morphological variation of the dorsalis pedis and the first dorsal metatarsal arteries are important because these arteries are used as flap pedicles during surgery of hands and feet with tissue defects. The purpose of this study was to investigate variations in the running pattern of the dorsalis pedis and first dorsal metatarsal arteries. We investigated the dorsalis pedis artery in 92 adult cadaver feet and 50 first dorsal metatarsal arteries that arose from these dorsalis pedis arteries were studied. The dorsalis pedis artery was classified into six types according to its running direction. The dorsalis pedis artery running in the direction of the first intermetatarsal space and branching into the first dorsal metatarsal artery was observed in 79.3%. The dorsalis pedis artery coursing laterally and becoming the first dorsal metatarsal artery after changing its direction medially was seen in 5.4%. The dorsalis pedis artery was thin and did not connect to the first dorsal metataral artery, split in the region of ankle and came to an end, and ran laterally and did not connect to the first dorsal metatarsal artery in 8.7%, 2.2%, and 3.7%, respectively. The dorsalis pedis artery ran superficial to the deep fascia in 1 of the 92 specimens (1.1%). The first dorsal metatarsal artery was classified into three types according to the positional relationship between the first dorsal metatarsal artery and the first dorsal interosseous muscle. The first dorsal metatarsal artery ran above or into the first dorsal interosseous muscle in 72% and ran below the first dorsal interosseous muscle in 22%. The first dorsal metatarsal artery that was either above or inside the first dorsal interosseous muscle but could not used as a flap pedicle because it was too small was seen in 6%.ope