Fascial compartments of leg
Fascial compartments of leg are divisions in the lower limb, separated by layers of fascia, allowing for compartmentalization of distinct groups of muscles, nerves, and blood vessels. These compartments help to prevent the spread of infections and also play a role in the management of fractures and soft tissue injuries.
Etymology[edit | edit source]
The term "fascia" is derived from the Latin word "fascis", meaning "bundle". This is in reference to the bundles of muscles that the fascia surrounds and compartmentalizes.
Anatomy[edit | edit source]
The leg is divided into three fascial compartments: the anterior, lateral, and posterior compartments. Each compartment contains a distinct group of muscles, nerves, and blood vessels.
Anterior Compartment[edit | edit source]
The anterior compartment contains the dorsiflexors of the foot and is innervated by the deep fibular nerve. The muscles in this compartment include the tibialis anterior, extensor hallucis longus, extensor digitorum longus, and fibularis tertius.
Lateral Compartment[edit | edit source]
The lateral compartment contains the evertors of the foot and is innervated by the superficial fibular nerve. The muscles in this compartment include the fibularis longus and fibularis brevis.
Posterior Compartment[edit | edit source]
The posterior compartment is further divided into deep and superficial compartments. The superficial compartment contains the plantar flexors of the foot and is innervated by the tibial nerve. The muscles in this compartment include the gastrocnemius, soleus, and plantaris. The deep compartment contains the popliteus, flexor digitorum longus, flexor hallucis longus, and tibialis posterior.
Clinical Significance[edit | edit source]
Fascial compartments are clinically significant in the management of compartment syndrome, a condition characterized by increased pressure within one of the body's compartments, leading to insufficient blood supply to the tissue within that space.
See Also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
| Fascial compartments of leg Resources | |
|---|---|
|
 |
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
|
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
| Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD
