Anatomic study of the deep plantar artery: potential by-pass receptor site.

The deep plantar artery is the main anastomosis between the dorsal and plantar arterial systems of the foot; with no change of calibre it unites the dorsalis pedis artery to the deep plantar arch, the second segment of the lateral plantar artery, passing into the first intermetatarsal space. Our anatomic study of 20 dissections of the deep plantar artery allowed us to verify the near-constancy of its descriptive anatomy and relationships. The deep plantar artery, when present, only found in 16 of our 20 cases, is totally linked to the dorsalis pedis artery. Its easy accessibility via the dorsal route, its medium calibre and the absence of collateral branches make this artery a possible anatomic site for the performance of a distal bypass, the last option before an amputation of the foot becomes necessary, although such a case remains exceptional.