6. Anterior Fascial Compartment
Contents of the Anterior Fascial Compartment of the Leg
• Muscles: tibialis anterior, extensor hallucis longus, extensor
digitorum longus, peroneus tertius
• Blood supply: Anterior tibial artery (mainly)
• Nerve supply: Deep peroneal nerve (L4,L5)
Primarily responsible for dorsiflexion of foot & ankle (acting
from above); pull the body forwards on the fixed foot during
walking (acting from below).
Anterior tibial artery & deep peroneal nerve run deeply just
anterior to the interosseous membrane
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8. Tibialis Anterior
• O –
lateral condyle and proximal 2/3rd
of lateral surface of the tibial shaft
adjoining interosseous membrane
• I – Medial and inferior surfaces of
Medial cuneiform and base of first
metatarsal bone
• V – Ant. tibial A
• N – Deep fibular N
• A – Dorsiflexor of the ankle and
Invertor of the foot
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9. Extensor hallucis longus
• O –
Middle ½ of the medial surface of
the fibula &
adjacent interosseous membrane
• I – dorsum of the base of distal
phalanx of great toe
• V – Ant. tibial A & fibular A
• N – Deep fibular N
• A –
• dorsiflexion of foot at ankle
• Dorsiflex (extends) hallux (L5)
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10. Extensor digitorum longus
• O –
lateral condyle of the tibia
proximal ¾th of the medial
surface of the fibula
adjacent interosseous membrane
• I – Extensor expansion of lateral
four toes
• V – Ant. tibial A & fibular A
• N – Deep fibular N
• A –
• Dorsiflexon at the ankle joint
• extends the lateral four toes
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11. Fibularis Tertius
• O –
Distal 3rd of the medial surface
of the fibula &
Adjacent interosseous
membrane
• I – dorsum of the base of fifth
metatarsal bone
• V – Ant. tibial A
• N – Deep fibular N
• A –
• Dorsiflexion @ ankle
• eversion of the foot
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13. Sup. Extensor Retinacula
Band like
Attachments –
laterally to the of anterior
border of the fibula
medially to the anterior border
of the tibia
Str. passing deep
Tendons of Tibialis Anterior, Extensor Hallucis
Longus, Extensor Digitorum Longus &
Fibularis Tertius
Anterior Tibial Vessels & Deep Fibular Nerve
Str. Passing superficial
Superficial fibular nerve
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15. Inferior Extensor Retinacula
Y-shaped band
Stem is attached to the upper surface of the
calcaneus
Passes medially enclosing tendons of fibularis
tertius and extensor digitorum longus
Proximal limb
Deep layer passes deep to the tendons of EHL
& TA , but superficial to the anterior tibial
vessels & deep fibular N
Superficial layer crosses superficial to the
tendons of EHL & TA
Both adhere and attach to medial malleolus
Distal limb
Extends downwards and medially to blend
with the plantar aponeurosis
Superficial to the tendons of EHL & TA
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17. Anterior Tibial Artery
Smaller terminal branch of the popliteal artery
Arises at the lower border of popliteus
accompanying anterior tibial veins run as venae
comitantes
Passes forward into ant. Compartment of leg through
an opening in the upper part of the interosseous
membrane at the neck of fibula
Descends on the anterior surface of the interosseous
membrane, accompanied by the deep peroneal nerve
In front of the ankle joint, the artery becomes the
dorsalis pedis artery
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18. Branches
• Posterior and anterior tibial recurrent A
• Muscular As
• Perforating A
• Anterior medial malleolar artery
• Anterior lateral malleolar artery
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20. Deep fibular Nerve
one of the terminal branches of the common peroneal N
Arises in the substance of the peroneus longus muscle on
the lateral side of the neck of the fibula
Enters the anterior compartment by piercing the anterior
fascial septum
Descends deep to the extensor digitorum longus muscle
Lies between extensor digitorum longus and tibialis
anterior & then the latter and extensor hallucis longus
The nerve descends first lying lateral, then anterior, and
finally lateral to the anterior tibial artery [nervi hesitans]
Branches – 1. Muscular branches 2. Articular branch
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23. Applied
risk for compartment syndrome
near the ankle, tendons of TA, EHL & EDL are close to
tibia & may be injured by open # or by callus formation
during # healing
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27. Extensor hallucis brevis
• O –
• Dorsal surface of calcaneus &
• Deeper aspect of stem of
inferior extensor retinaculuIm
• I – Base of proximal phalanx of
hallux
• V – Dorsalis Pedis A
• N – Deep fibular N
• A – extend the 1st toe at the
metatarsophalangeal joint
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28. Extensor Digitorum
Brevis
• O –
• Dorsal surface of calcaneus &
• Deeper aspect of stem of inferior
extensor retinaculuIm
• I – 3 tendons attach to the lateral
sides of the tendons of extensor
digitorum longus
• V – Dorsalis Pedis A
• N – Deep fibular N
• A – Extend the medial 3 toes at the
metatarsophalangeal joint
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29. Dorsalis Pedis Artery
Continuation of anterior tibial artery
Course :
It lies between the tendon of extensor hallucis
longus medially and the digital branch of the
deep fibular N laterally
then it is crossed by the tendon of extensor
hallucis brevis
runs to the base of the first intermetatarsal
space and passes down into the sole between the
heads of the first dorsal interosseous, to join the
lateral plantar artery & complete the plantar
arch.
Its pulsation can be palpated lateral to
the extensor hallucis longus tendon on a
line from the midpoint between the two
malleoli towards the first toe cleft
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30. Dorsalis Pedis Artery
Branches
Tarsal arteries : lateral and medial
Arcuate artery : gives 2nd to 4th dorsal
metatarsal arteries which bifurcates
First dorsal metatarsal artery
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31. Extensor Expansion
Same as EE of Hand
triangular aponeurotic sheaths, with a hood-like
appearance
Divide into a central slip & two lateral slips over
the proximal phalanx
function as the compound tendinous
attachment of the:
Extensor digitorum longus
Lumbrical
Plantar interossei and dorsal interossei
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