Tibial arteries

Looks like

The arteries of the lower leg — the anterior tibial in front of the shin and the posterior tibial behind it, whose pulse is felt behind the inner ankle.

What it does

Carry blood to the calf muscles and the foot.

Keeping it well

Narrowed by smoking and diabetes. Calf pain on walking that stops with rest, or a cold foot and slow-healing sores, need a vascular review.

Its parts

• Plantar metatarsal artery
• Right dorsalis pedis artery
• Right posterior tibial artery
• Left dorsalis pedis artery
• Left posterior tibial artery
• Set of calcaneal branches of posterior tibial artery

Related conditions

• Achilles tendon rupture
• Buerger's disease (thromboangiitis obliterans)
• Chronic venous insufficiency
• Compartment syndrome
• Growing pains
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Hypothermia & frostbite
• Kawasaki disease
• Lymphangitis
• Lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis)
• Lymphoedema
• Metabolic syndrome
• Orthostatic hypotension & POTS
• Peripheral artery disease
• Phaeochromocytoma & hyperaldosteronism
• Pre-eclampsia
• Raynaud's phenomenon
• Restless legs syndrome
• Sepsis
• Shock (circulatory failure)
• Superficial thrombophlebitis
• Varicose veins
• Vasculitis (GCA & others)
• Venomous snakebite