Question:easy
Artery passing between medial malleolus and the Achilles tendon?
Artery passing between medial malleolus and the Achilles tendon?
Show Hint
Use the tarsal-tunnel mnemonic Tom-Dick-And-Very-Nervous-Harry; the “A” is the artery you feel for the foot pulse.
Updated On: Jun 22, 2026
- Posterior tibial artery
- Anterior tibial artery
- Dorsalis pedis artery
- Peroneal (fibular) artery
Show Solution
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Localise by the anatomy of the tarsal tunnel.
The corridor: Behind the medial malleolus, deep to the flexor retinaculum, lies the tarsal tunnel through which tendons, a neurovascular bundle and more tendons pass into the sole. The classic order, learned by "Tom, Dick, And Very Nervous Harry", is: Tibialis posterior, flexor Digitorum longus, posterior tibial Artery, Vein, tibial Nerve, flexor Hallucis longus.
Spotting the artery: The "A" in the mnemonic is the posterior tibial artery. Clinically this is the artery you palpate halfway between the tip of the medial malleolus and the Achilles tendon - the posterior tibial pulse, an important check of foot perfusion.
Where it goes: After rounding the medial malleolus it enters the sole and splits into the medial and lateral plantar arteries to supply the foot.
Excluding the rest: Anterior tibial $\rightarrow$ front of leg; dorsalis pedis $\rightarrow$ dorsum of foot (its continuation); peroneal/fibular $\rightarrow$ lateral side near the fibula. None lie behind the medial malleolus.
Answer: Posterior tibial artery (option A).
The corridor: Behind the medial malleolus, deep to the flexor retinaculum, lies the tarsal tunnel through which tendons, a neurovascular bundle and more tendons pass into the sole. The classic order, learned by "Tom, Dick, And Very Nervous Harry", is: Tibialis posterior, flexor Digitorum longus, posterior tibial Artery, Vein, tibial Nerve, flexor Hallucis longus.
Spotting the artery: The "A" in the mnemonic is the posterior tibial artery. Clinically this is the artery you palpate halfway between the tip of the medial malleolus and the Achilles tendon - the posterior tibial pulse, an important check of foot perfusion.
Where it goes: After rounding the medial malleolus it enters the sole and splits into the medial and lateral plantar arteries to supply the foot.
Excluding the rest: Anterior tibial $\rightarrow$ front of leg; dorsalis pedis $\rightarrow$ dorsum of foot (its continuation); peroneal/fibular $\rightarrow$ lateral side near the fibula. None lie behind the medial malleolus.
Answer: Posterior tibial artery (option A).
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