Final answer:
The artery that arises at the level of the talus and supplies blood to the lateral side of the foot and adjoining muscles is the lateral plantar artery, which comes from the bifurcation of the posterior tibial arteries.
Step-by-step explanation:
The artery in question, which supplies blood to the adjoining muscles and the lateral side of the foot, arises at the level of the talus. The correct answer is the lateral plantar artery. The lateral plantar artery arises from the bifurcation of the posterior tibial arteries and is responsible for supplying blood to the lateral plantar surfaces of the foot. It is not the dorsalis pedis artery, which eventually provides blood to the tarsal and dorsal regions of the foot after branching from the anterior tibial artery. The anterior tibial artery initially supplies blood to the anterior tibial region, then transitions into the dorsalis pedis artery. The posterior tibial artery, as its name indicates, serves the posterior part of the tibial region and is not directly involved with the lateral aspect of the foot. The popliteal artery, from which the anterior and posterior tibial arteries branch off, is located higher up in the leg and is not the correct answer.