Tibialis posterior muscle

Last revised by Ayla Al Kabbani on 1 Aug 2022

The tibialis posterior muscle is one of the small muscles of the deep posterior compartment of the leg.

Summary

  • origin: upper half of posterior shaft of tibia and upper half of fibula between medial crest and interosseous border, and adjacent interosseous membrane.
  • insertion: navicular and medial cuneiform
    • the tendon splits into two slips after passing inferior to plantar calcaneonavicular ligament
      • superficial slip inserts on the tuberosity of the navicular bone and sometimes medial cuneiform
        • this is the main slip, accounting anterior two-thirds of the tendon
      • deeper slip divides again into slips and has variable insertions onto the plantar surfaces of metatarsals 2 - 4, second cuneiform, cuboid, sustentaculum tali 
  • action: plantarflexion and inversion of the foot
  • arterial supply: posterior tibial artery
  • innervation: tibial nerve
  • antagonist: tibialis anterior
  • variants:
    • insertion into accessory navicular

Related pathology

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