So, you want to make a bypass on the distal anterior tibial artery (ATA) or on the dorsalis pedis artery (DPA). Read how to find it. The skin incision is on the top of the foot, lateral to the tendon of the great toe extensor muscle. After cutting the skin and the subcutaneous tissue, you will find the underlying ligament, the inferior extensor retinaculum or cruciate crural ligament. After you cut it you will find two tendons. First, the tibialis anterior tendon, and a bit more laterally the extensor hallucis longus muscle tendon. The ATA or DPA is lying lateral to it, together with the two corresponding veins and the anterior tibial (deep peroneal) nerve.

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