What is a dorsalis pedis pulse?

The dorsalis pedis pulse is a the pulse from the dorsalis pedis artery, according to The Free Dictionary. It can be felt on the top of the foot between bones of the first and second toe.

"Pulse" is the word used to describe the beating of the heart felt through the walls of a peripheral artery, explains The Free Dictionary. The pulse is not actually the heartbeat but a shock wave created by the heart when it contracts. There are multiple pulse points on the human body. The most commonly used pulse points are the base of the carotid artery on the neck and the radial artery found on the wrist just below the thumb. The doralis pedis pulse can be felt in roughly 90 percent of the population.