Clover Learning Lower Extremities Practice Test 2026 – Comprehensive All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

The posterior tibial pulse is felt behind the medial malleolus, in the groove just posterior to the ankle as the artery travels toward the foot. You check it by placing a finger behind the medial malleolus and feeling for a rhythmic pulse with each heartbeat.

If this pulse is absent, it suggests that the posterior tibial artery is not adequately supplying the distal leg, meaning posterior tibial artery insufficiency or occlusion. This finding points to vascular issues in the artery supplying the plantar surface of the foot and is a sign of peripheral arterial disease affecting that vessel. For context, checking the dorsalis pedis pulse on the top of the foot helps gauge overall blood flow to the foot; loss of both pulses raises concern for broader PAD, while loss of just the posterior tibial pulse localizes to that artery.