Anatomy and Cell Biology

Korean Association of Anatomists (대한해부학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Missing medial tarsal artery replaced by the anterior medial malleolar artery

  • Da-Yae Choi (Department of Dental Hygiene, Catholic Kwandong University) ;
  • Mi-Sun Hur (Department of Anatomy, Daegu Catholic University School of Medicine)
  • Received : 2022.09.30
  • Accepted : 2022.10.13
  • Published : 2022.12.31
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

The present case report describes an unusual variant of a missing medial tarsal artery (MTA) being replaced by the anterior medial malleolar artery (AMMA). The dorsalis pedis artery (DPA) did not give off any branches to the medial foot. The DPA coursed downward in the foot along with the superficial fibular nerve on the foot dorsum at the lateral side of the first metatarsal bone before entering the sole. In the medial malleolus, the AMMA arose from the anterior tibial artery and then ramified several branches, one of which descended to the medial talus. Thus, the possibility of a missing MTA being replaced by the AMMA should be considered by surgeons and radiologists when various surgeries are performed in the medial tarsal area.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (No. 2020R1C1C1003237).

References

  1. Hemamalini, Manjunatha HN. Variations in the origin, course and branching pattern of dorsalis pedis artery with clinical significance. Sci Rep 2021;11:1448. 
  2. Thunyacharoen S, Mahakkanukrauh C, Pattayakornkul N, Meetham K, Charumporn T, Mahakkanukrauh P. Anatomical variations of the dorsalis pedis artery in a Thai population. Int J Morphol 2022;40:137-42. 
  3. Standring S. Gray's anatomy: the anatomical basis of clinical practice. 42nd ed. Amsterdam: Elsevier; 2020. 
  4. Morris H. Morris' human anatomy: a complete systematic treatise. 10th ed. Philadelphia: Blakiston; 1947. 
  5. Woodburne RT, Burkel WE. Essentials of human anatomy. 9th ed. New York: Oxford University Press; 1994. 
  6. Ballmer FT, Hertel R, Noetzli HP, Masquelet AC. The medial malleolar network: a constant vascular base of the distally based saphenous neurocutaneous island flap. Surg Radiol Anat 1999;21:297-303. 
  7. Wang T, Regmi S, Liu H, Pan J, Hou R. Free lateral tarsal artery perforator flap with functioning extensor digitorum brevis muscle for thenar reconstruction: a case report. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 2017;137:273-6. 
  8. Vazales R, Masadeh S. First dorsal metatarsal artery flap for coverage of soft tissue defects of the distal foot: delayed technique, proximal and distally based fasciocutaneous and adipofascial variants. Clin Podiatr Med Surg 2020;37:765-73. 
  9. Bai L, Peng YB, Liu SB, Xie XX, Zhang XM. Anatomical basis of a pedicled cuboid bone graft based on the lateral tarsal artery for talar avascular necrosis. Surg Radiol Anat 2021;43:1703-9. 
  10. Abu-Ghname A, Lazo D, Chade S, Fioravanti A, Colicchio O, Alvarez D, Junior E, Maricevich M. The first dorsal metacarpal artery perforator free flap: The Comet Flap. Plast Reconstr Surg 2022;150:671e-4e. 
  11. Moriggl B, Sturm W. Absence of three regular thyroid arteries replaced by an unusual lowest thyroid artery (A. thyroidea ima): a case report. Surg Radiol Anat 1996;18:147-50. 
  12. Vas D, Moreno Rojas J, Sola Garcia M. Replaced right hepatic artery arising from the distal renal artery, a new variation. Surg Radiol Anat 2022 Sep 13 [Epub]. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-022-03017-3. 
  13. Tsukuura R, Yamamoto T. Free medialis tarsus flap transfer for reconstruction of toe necrosis: a case report. Microsurgery 2021;41:671-5.