Anterior compartment of the leg
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Hacking C, Croft M, Weerakkody Y, et al. Anterior compartment of the leg. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 08 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-40344
Permalink:
rID:
40344
Article created:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Craig Hacking had no recorded disclosures.
View Craig Hacking's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Craig Hacking had no recorded disclosures.
View Craig Hacking's current disclosures
Revisions:
7 times, by
5 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Synonyms:
- Anterior compartment of leg
The anterior compartment of the leg is one of the four compartments in the leg between the knee and foot. Muscles within this compartment primarily produce ankle dorsiflexion and toe extension.
The leg is separated into anterior, lateral, superficial posterior and deep posterior compartments by intermuscular septa and surrounded by the deep fascia of the leg.
On this page:
Article:
Images:
Images:
Boundaries
- anterior: deep fascia of the leg
- posterior: interosseous membrane
- medial: lateral surface of the tibia
- lateral: anterior intermuscular septum and medial surface of the fibula
Muscles
- tibialis anterior muscle
- extensor hallucis longus muscle
- extensor digitorum longus muscle
- peroneus tertius muscle
Blood supply
- branches of the anterior tibial artery
Innervation
References
- 1. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN:1451119453. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Last's Anatomy. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:0702033944. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Deep posterior compartment of the leg
- Tibialis anterior muscle
- Crural fascia
- Accessory peroneal muscles
- Sciatic nerve motor distribution
- Extensor digitorum longus muscle
- Lateral compartment of the leg
- Anterior tibial vein
- Deep peroneal nerve
- Fibula
- Anterior tibial artery
- Superficial posterior compartment of the leg
- Peroneus tertius muscle
- Muscles of the lower limb
- Arterial supply of the lower limb
- Extensor hallucis longus muscle
Multiple choice questions:
Related articles: Anatomy: Lower limb
- skeleton of the lower limb
- joints of the lower limb
-
hip joint
- ligaments
- muscles
- additional structures
- hip joint capsule
- zona orbicularis
- iliotibial band
-
hip bursae
- anterior
- iliopsoas bursa (iliopectineal bursa)
- lateral
- subgluteal bursae
- greater trochanteric bursa (subgluteus maximus bursa)
- subgluteus medius bursa
- subgluteus minimus bursa
- gluteofemoral bursa
- subgluteal bursae
- postero-inferior
- anterior
- ossification centers
-
knee joint
- ligaments
- anterior cruciate ligament
- posterior cruciate ligament
- medial collateral ligament
- lateral collateral ligament
- meniscofemoral ligament (mnemonic)
-
posterolateral ligamentous complex
- arcuate ligament
- patellar tendon and quadriceps tendon
- anterolateral ligament
- posterior oblique ligament
- oblique popliteal ligament
- medial patellofemoral ligament
- additional structures
- extensor mechanism of the knee
- groove for the popliteus tendon
- knee bursae
- anterior bursae
- medial bursae
- lateral bursae
- posterior bursae
- knee capsule
- lateral patellar retinaculum
- medial patellar retinaculum
- menisci
- pes anserinus (mnemonic)
- ossification centers
- ligaments
- tibiofibular joints
-
ankle joint
- regional anatomy
- medial ankle
- lateral ankle
- anterior ankle
- ligaments
- medial collateral (deltoid) ligament
- lateral collateral ligament
- additional structures
- ankle bursae
- ossification centers of the ankle
- variants
- regional anatomy
- foot joints
- subtalar joint
- mid-tarsal (Chopart) joint
-
tarsometatarsal (Lisfranc) joint
- ligaments
- intermetatarsal joint
- metatarsophalangeal joint
- interphalangeal joint
- ossification centers
-
hip joint
- spaces of the lower limb
-
muscles of the lower limb
- muscles of the pelvic group
- muscles of the thigh
- muscles of the leg
- anterior compartment of the leg
- posterior compartments of the leg
- lateral compartment of the leg
- muscles of the foot
- dorsal muscles
- plantar muscles
- 1st layer
- 2nd layer
- 3rd layer
- 4th layer
- accessory muscles of the lower limb
- accessory gluteal muscles
-
accessory muscles of the ankle
- accessory peroneal muscles
- accessory flexor digitorum longus muscle
- accessory soleus muscle
- peroneocalcaneus internus muscle
- tibiocalcaneus internus muscle
- extensor hallucis capsularis tendon
- anterior fibulocalcaneus muscle
- accessory extensor digiti secundus muscle
- tibioastragalus anticus of Gruber muscle
- vascular supply of the lower limb
- arterial supply of the lower limb
- venous drainage of the lower limb
- innervation of the lower limb
- lymphatic system of the lower limb
- lymphatic pathways
- anteromedial group
- anterolateral group
- posteromedial group
- posterolateral group
- lower limb lymph nodes
- lymphatic pathways
Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.
