The dorsalis pedis artery (DPA) is the largest blood vessel distal to the ankle joint. It is the continuation of the anterior tibial artery (ATA) and runs along the dorsum of the foot until the 1 st intermetatarsal space. The DPA gives rise to five branches, viz. medial tarsal, lateral tarsal, arcuate, deep plantar and dorsal metatarsal arteries. Given the vast blood supply provided by the DPA, in the current era of microvascular surgery, the anatomy of the DPA is of increasing interest to anatomists, surgeons and angiographers. The aim of this study was to outline the course, origin, branching patterns and possible variations of the DPA. The present study included the dissection of forty (n=40) cadaveric specimens of the lower limb region (Left: 25; Right: 15). The origin, course and branching patterns of the artery were studied. These morphological parameters were further analysed with regard to laterality to determine if a correlation existed. The Pearson Chi-square test was employed and a p value of less than 0.05 was deemed statistically significant. Although the DPA was present in 97.5 % of cases, it followed the standard anatomical description in only 42.5 % of cases. The DPA originated from the peroneal artery in 5 % of cases. In 25 % of cases, DPA deviated laterally. Variation in the branching pattern of the DPA, which was recorded in 50 % of cases, was further classified according Types 1 to 6. The findings of this study correlated closely with most previous studies. However, the incidence of lateral deviation of the DPA was higher in this study as well as the incidence of Type 1 variation in branching pattern. Additionally, this study proposes a novel variation in branching pattern which has been termed Type 6, which displays a recurrent branch of the Type 5 variation. The DPA has an important role in a clinical setting since the DPA flap is employed in reconstructive surgeries and peripheral circulation may be assessed by the palpation of the DPA pulse. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the anatomy of the DPA is of prime importance to podiatrists, surgeons, anatomists and angiographers.

The parietal foramen (PF) is a small inconsistent aperture located at the border of the middle 1 /3 and posterior 1 /3 of the parietal bone near the sagittal suture and is considered an emissary foramen. Cranial emissary foramina are of utmost importance due to the structures that traverse the foramen. Variations in these foramina are common. Knowledge of the PF is important when performing neurosurgical procedures as the emissary vessels are at risk. The present study used 100 dry adult calvaria to determine the frequency of PF, the diameter of the PF, as well as topography of the PF (using the sagittal suture as an anatomical landmark). A total of 32% of calvaria had PF present bilaterally; whilst 35% of calvaria had unilateral PF. The study also reports 5% calvaria in which PF were present on the sagittal suture. The mean diameter recorded was 1.55mm [0.74-3.08mm], and the mean distance between the lateral margin of the PF and the sagittal suture was 9.02mm [4.44-18.20mm]. Knowledge of the incidence and topography of the PF may aid neurosurgeons in creating and adjusting techniques and procedures in order to mitigate the risk of injury to emissary veins and other structures emerging from the PF.

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This article has been peer reviewed and published immediately upon acceptance.It is an open access article, which means that it can be downloaded, printed, and distributed freely, provided the work is properly cited. Articles in "Folia Morphologica" are listed in PubMed.

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