Muscles in the Lateral Compartment of the Leg

Question 1

What muscles are in the lateral compartment of the leg?

Answer 1

Fibularis longus

Fibularis brevis

Question 2

What is the common anatomical function of the muscles in the lateral compartment of the leg?

Answer 2

Everts foot
Weakly plantarflexes ankle
Fix the medial margin of the foot during running, and preventing excessive inversion

Question 3

What is eversion?

Answer 3

Turning the sole of the foot outwards

Question 4

How much eversion is possible from the anatomical position?

Answer 4

Only a few degrees

Question 5

What is the innervation of the muscles in the lateral compartment of the leg?

Answer 5

Superficial fibular nerve (L5, S1, S2)

Question 6

What is the arterial supply of the muscles of the lateral compartment of the leg?

Answer 6

Fibular artery

Question 7

What is the course of the fibularis longus?

Answer 7

The fibres converge into a tendon, which descends into the foot, posterior to the lateral malleolus. The tendon then crosses under the foot

Question 8

What does the fibularis longus support?

Answer 8

The lateral and transverse arches of the foot

Question 9

How can the common fibular nerve be identified?

Answer 9

Using the fibularis longus as an anatomical landmark

Question 10

How can the fibularis longus be used to identify the common fibular nerve?

Answer 10

There is a gap between the parts of the fibularis longus that originates from the fibular head and neck. The common fibular nerve passes through this gap

Question 11

What happens to the common fibular nerve after passing through the gap in the fibularis longus?

Answer 11

It bifurcates by passing into two terminal branches, the deep and superficial fibular nerve