Medial and lateral plantar artery

The medial plantar artery courses through the foot deep to abductor hallucis before giving rise to a superficial and deep terminal branch. Its terminal branches give rise to superficial plantar digital arteries and anastomose with the digital branch of the 1st plantar metatarsal artery. The lateral plantar artery runs between flexor digitorum brevis and quadratus plantae laterally, in the region of the calcaneocuboid joint and then anteriorly to the base of the 4/5th metatarsals, giving rise to the deep plantar arch and a branch to the 5th toe. Both arteries contribute to forming the deep plantar arch.