In order to study the arteries of menisci, both inside and outside themselves, a series of specimens were used and prepared by macro-micro-anatomical, histological, translucent and SEM methods. The arteries of the posterior part of menisci come from the posterior medial and lateral genicular arteries. Those of their anterior part come from the inferior lateral genieular artery, superior and inferior medial genicular arteries, or descending genicular artery, and may be divided into three types according to their sources. The meniscal branches of these arteries anastomose with each other to form a perimeniscal arterial circle which is continuous at its anterior part and interrupted beneath the tibial collateral ligament and popliteal tendon to form an avascular area. The arterial circle is important for collateral circulation around the knee and also provides an anatomical basis for the selection of appraoches in meniscal operation. The nourishing arteriolae, arising from the arterial circle from an arteriolar network around the menisci and give off arteriolae into the body and horn of the menisci. Healing process of the injured meniscus is intimately related with the vascular architecture inside it and recover more easily in the horn and peripheral part of the body due to rich microvasculature in these parts.

The Arteria dorsalis pedis of 50 lower limbs of adult Chinese cadavers were injected with the chloroform solution of red pigment.Then the cutaneous arteries of the Ar- teria dorsalis pedis were dissected,observed and measured under an operating microscope. The arteria dorsalis pedis was divided into proximal,intermediate and distal portions. In all cases this artery gives off direct cutaneous arteries which are more concentrated in the proximal and distal portions. In the proximal portion,the cutaneous arteries are constantly provided with larger caliber and longer length of extension.The percentage of the presence of the cutaneous arteries of the distal portion is rather high,yet both their caliber and length of extension are smaller than the branches of the proximal portion. There are certain anastomoses between the neighboring cutaneous arteries.Most of the cutaneous arteries run along the course of the medial dorsal cutaneous nerves.This nerve may be considered as a guide to find those cutaneous arteries. The caliber of the most cutaneous arteries is large enough for microsurgical vaso- anastomosis.Thus the data of this article may be helpful to clinicians who want to make a vascularized free dorsalis pedis skin flap.