Deep plantar arteries of some mammals, with special reference to the plantar metatarsal arteries.

The plantar metatarsal arteries of some mammals were studied. In the dog, raccoon dog and cat, the second proximal perforating branch was fully developed and produced the plantar metatarsal arteries. These plantar metatarsal arteries ran on the plantar surfaces of the interosseous muscles along the metatarsal bones or intermetatarsal spaces, and gave rise to the digital arteries of the second to fifth toes. In the rabbit, a branch of the medial plantar artery ran transversely on the plantar surfaces of the metatarsal bones at a level distal to the bases of these bones, and produced the plantar metatarsal arteries. These plantar metatarsal arteries ran deep in the interosseous muscles along the metatarsal bones or intermetatarsal spaces, and joined with the digital arteries which were derived from the medial plantar artery. The plantar metatarsal arteries could be classified into four kinds of arteries (sM, sI, dM and dI) in relation to the interosseous muscles and metatarsal bones. This classification largely coincides with that of the human hand and foot (Murakami, 1969, 1971), the monkey hand and foot (Nakai et al., 1987; Hinenoya et al., 1987), and the forepaws of some animals, including the dog and cat (Murakami et al., 1987).