Dorsal Venous Arch of Foot

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The dorsal venous arch in the foot is located at the point where the first and fifth digit dorsal veins run into the small and great saphenous veins. This superficial vein connects the great and small saphenous vein.

This arch helps drain deoxygenated blood from the foot. The dorsal metatarsal veins also give the arch blood. These veins drain the foot's metatarsal area and the dorsal digital veins that service the toes. At this point the deoxygenated blood from the arch is drained to the small and large saphenous veins.

The arch can be seen under the skin. The dorsal venous arch rests about halfway between the metatarsal phalangeal joints and the ankle joint, superior to the metatarsals bones. The arch goes over the five metatarsals' medial segment. At the swelling of the arch, the interdigital and dorsal digital veins are received. They meet up with the superficial dorsal and plantar venous plexuses between the toes. At the hollow of the arch the interdigital perforating veins merge.