Arteriographic study of the rabbit lower limb.

The rabbit hind limb has been used extensively as an orthopaedic model in the investigation of fracture pathology and healing and the effects of vascular abnormalities. However, a detailed description of the normal arterial supply appears to be absent from the literature. A study of the entire arterial vasculature has been undertaken using a lead oxide injection technique developed for this and other orthopaedic studies. This technique has proved reliable and inexpensive, giving high-quality arteriography, which is easily interpreted. Accurate description of the arterial anatomy is possible without the need for repeated dissection. The rabbit lower limb shows some interesting variations in blood supply, particularly below the knee. The foot has three distinct patterns of blood supply, depending on the presence or absence of the peroneal artery and the degree of dominance of the dorsalis pedis artery. This arrangement has not previously been described and differs from the situation in other mammals. The arteriographic technique and the anatomical description have allowed the interpretation of changes occurring in the vasculature after injury in a fracture model.