Anterior Leg & Foot Dorsum
This muscle of the anterior compartment is the primary dorsiflexor of the foot and also aids in inversion.
What is the tibialis anterior?
This muscle originates from the upper two-thirds of the lateral fibula and its tendon wraps around the lateral malleolus to insert under the foot onto the first metatarsal and medial cuneiform.
What is the fibularis (peroneus) longus?
This two-headed superficial muscle forms the prominent upper bulk of the calf and crosses both the knee and ankle joints.
What is the gastrocnemius?
This large superficial vein begins at the medial end of the dorsal venous arch and passes anterior to the medial malleolus as it travels up the leg.
What is the great saphenous vein?
Traumatic impact or fracture at the neck of the fibula endangers this superficial nerve, leading to "foot drop."
What is the common fibular (peroneal) nerve?
This nerve supplies all motor innervation to the muscles of the anterior leg compartment as well as cutaneous sensation to the first web space.
What is the deep fibular (peroneal) nerve?
This nerve innervates the lateral compartment of the leg and carries cutaneous sensation from most of the foot's dorsum.
What is the superficial fibular (peroneal) nerve?
All muscles in both the superficial and deep posterior compartments of the leg are innervated by this nerve.
What is the tibial nerve?
This main artery of the posterior leg arises at the lower border of the popliteus muscle and gives off the fibular artery shortly after its origin.
What is the posterior tibial artery?
Cutaneous sensation to the lateral border of the foot and fifth digit is primarily supplied by this nerve formed from branches of the tibial and common fibular nerves.
What is the sural nerve?
This intrinsic muscle located on the dorsum of the foot inserts into the proximal phalanx of the great toe to extend it.
What is the extensor hallucis brevis?
Lying deep to its long companion, this lateral compartment muscle inserts directly onto the tuberosity of the fifth metatarsal.
What is the fibularis (peroneus) brevis?
This deepest muscle of the posterior compartment acts to invert the foot and maintains the medial longitudinal arch.
What is the tibialis posterior?
Traveling along the lateral side of the foot and leg alongside the sural nerve, this superficial vein drains directly into the popliteal vein.
What is the small (short) saphenous vein?
Compression of the tibial nerve as it passes posterior to the medial malleolus beneath the flexor retinaculum results in this clinical condition.
What is tarsal tunnel syndrome?
Arising as a continuation of the anterior tibial artery, this vessel is felt for a pulse on the dorsum of the foot just lateral to the extensor hallucis longus tendon.
What is the dorsalis pedis artery?
The lateral compartment receives its primary arterial blood supply via perforating branches from this deep artery of the posterior leg.
What is the fibular (peroneal) artery?
This small, triangular muscle unlocks the knee joint by laterally rotating the femur on a fixed tibia during the initiation of knee flexion.
What is the popliteus?
On the dorsum of the foot, this arcuate branch of the dorsalis pedis artery gives off the dorsal metatarsal arteries.
What is the arcuate artery?
This purely cutaneous nerve arises from the femoral nerve in the femoral triangle and travels down the medial side of the leg alongside the great saphenous vein.
What is the saphenous nerve?
This weak dorsiflexor and everter originates on the distal third of the fibula and is technically a separated slip of the extensor digitorum longus.
What is the fibularis (peroneus) tertius?
An avulsion fracture at the tuberosity of the fifth metatarsal often occurs due to a violent contraction of this muscle's tendon during foot inversion.
What is the fibularis (peroneus) brevis?
This flexor muscle lies on the lateral side of the deep posterior leg, yet its tendon crosses over to insert onto the base of the distal phalanx of the great toe.
What is the flexor hallucis longus?
This arterial vascular loop, formed by the deep plantar branch of the dorsalis pedis anastomosing with the lateral plantar artery, supplies the deep structures of the sole and toes.
What is the deep plantar arch?
This clinical test evaluates the integrity of the Achilles tendon (calcaneal tendon) and S1 nerve root by squeezing the calf muscle belly to look for passive plantarflexion.
What is the Thompson test (or Simmonds test)?