Study of Branching Pattern of Dorsalis Pedis Artery and its Clinical Significance Chepte AP 1* and Ambiye MV 2 1 Department of Anatomy, Rural Medical College, Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences, Loni Bk, Rahata, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India 2 Department of Anatomy, TNMC BYL Nair Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India * Corresponding author: Chepte AP, Department of Anatomy, Rural Medical College, Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences, Loni Bk, Rahata, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India, Tel: + 917218345572; E-mail: drarunchepte@gmail.com Received date: July 03, 2018; Accepted date: July 18, 2018; Published date: July 24, 2018 Copyright: © 2018 Chepte AP, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Abstract Objective: To study the branching Patterns of the Dorsalis pedis artery. Method: The study was conducted in the Department of anatomy, TNMC & BYL Ch. Hospital, Mumbai. Sixty cadaveric lower limbs were dissected below ankle and dorsalis pedis artery was traced to all its branches. Results: We observed 10 different branching patterns of dorsalis pedis artery, some of which were not reported in literature. Conclusion: Dorsalis pedis artery have variations in branching patterns. Knowledge of these variations will help surgeons for planning and better outcome of surgeries involving foot. Keywords: Dorsalis pedis artery; Lateral tarsal artery; First dorsal metatarsal artery; Arcuate artery; Ankle anatomy; Foot anatomy; Foot surgery Abbreviations: DPA: Dorsalis Pedis Artery; LTA: Lateral Tarsal Artery; MTA: Medial Tarsal Artery; FDMA: First Dorsal Metatarsal Artery; AA: Arcuate Artery; DMA: Dorsal Metatarsal Artery Introduction Dorsalis pedis artery is the main source of blood supply to the dorsum of foot [1]. Dorsalis pedis artery is an easily accessible artery for assessing pedal pulsations [2]. Te most preferred site for palpation of dorsalis pedis artery is against the navicular bone, however it can be palpated from midpoint between the malleoli to the proximal end of frst intermetatarsal space. A diminished or absent dorsalis pedis pulse usually suggest vascular insufciency. However some healthy individuals may have a congenitally non palpable dorsalis pedis pulse [3,4]. In these cases there is a variation in the termination pattern of anterior tibial artery. Examination of pedal pulses remains a useful clinical tool when evaluating peripheral circulation. Te anatomical basis for the absence of its pulsations is the change in the arterial branching pattern, deviant course and its small caliber [5]. Te dorsalis pedis fap is one of the most commonly used foot faps. Tere is still little detailed information on the arterial supply of the dorsum of the foot [6]. Te arterial system of the foot has attracted the attention of anatomists and surgeons for many years because of its importance and extreme variability [7]. As variation in dorsalis pedis artery is common, it is essential to have a sound knowledge about the artery. Tis study will help to understand the diferent branching patterns of the dorsalis pedis artery. Materials and Methods Sixty Lower limb specimens were dissected in the dissection room of department of Anatomy. Te study was carried out on lower limbs of unknown sex and age from the department of Anatomy. Limbs were dissected lower down from the level of the ankle joint on the dorsal aspect till the level of the web space, the long Extensor tendons were severed, dorsalis pedis artery was identifed and traced down, the origin, branching pattern and the course were noted. Observations and Results Branching patterns of DPA were observed in the present study and grouped as per their morphological appearance. Total 10 diferent patterns of branching of DPA were found. Tey were grouped into Type A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and J with regards to the variations in origin, course and branching pattern of DPA (Figure 1 and Table 1). Type A: Normal branching pattern of dorsalis pedis artery (Figure 2). In the present study 73.33% cases had normal branching pattern giving all the branches as mentioned in textbooks. Type B: In the present study 4 cases (6.66%) had branching pattern of this type where 2 nd DMA directly arose from DPA and 3 rd and 4 th DMAs were given by LTA (Figure 3). Type C: In the present study 5% cases had branching pattern of this type where 2 nd DMA directly arose from plantar arch and 3 rd and 4 th DMAs were given by LTA. AA was absent (Figure 4). Type D: In the present study 6.66% cases had branching pattern of this type where 2 nd DMA directly arose from DPA and 3 rd and 4 th DMAs were given by plantar arch. AA was absent (Figure 5). A n a t o m y & P h y s i o l o g y : C u r r e n t R e s e a r c h ISSN: 2161-0940 Anatomy & Physiology: Current Research Chepte, Anat Physiol 2018, 8:3 DOI: 10.4172/2161-0940.1000301 Research Article Open Access Anat Physiol, an open access journal ISSN:2161-0940 Volume 8 • Issue 3 • 301