The Fibula

Anatomy > Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body > II. [Osteology]] > 6c. 6. The Fibula

Henry Gray (1821–1865). Anatomy of the Human Body. 1918.

The Fibula

(Calf Bone)

The fibula (Figs. 258, 259) is placed on the lateral side of the tibia, with which it is connected above and below. It is the smaller of the two bones, and, in proportion to its length, the most slender of all the long bones.

Its upper extremity is small, placed toward the back of the head of the tibia, below the level of the knee-joint, and excluded from the formation of this joint.

Its lower extremity inclines a little forward, so as to be on a plane anterior to that of the upper end; it projects below the tibia, and forms the lateral part of the ankle-joint. The bone has a body and two extremities

The Upper Extremity or Head (capitulum fibulœ; proximal extremity)

The upper extremity is of an irregular quadrate form, presenting above a flattened articular surface, directed upward, forward, and medialward, for articulation with a corresponding surface on the lateral condyle of the tibia. On the lateral side is a thick and rough prominence continued behind into a pointed eminence, the apex (styloid process), which projects upward from the posterior part of the head.

The prominence, at its upper and lateral part, gives attachment to the tendon of the Biceps femoris and to the fibular collateral ligament of the knee-joint, the ligament dividing the tendon into two parts. The remaining part of the circumference of the head is rough, for the attachment of muscles and ligaments.

It presents in front a tubercle for the origin of the upper and anterior fibers of the Peronaeus longus, and a surface for the attachment of the anterior ligament of the head; and behind, another tubercle, for the attachment of the posterior ligament of the head and the origin of the upper fibers of the Soleus.

The Body or Shaft (corpus fibulae)

The body presents four borders—the antero-lateral, the antero-medial, the postero-lateral, and the postero-medial; and four surfaces—anterior, posterior, medial, and lateral.

Borders

The antero-lateral border begins above in front of the head, runs vertically downward to a little below the middle of the bone, and then curving somewhat lateralward, bifurcates so as to embrace a triangular subcutaneous surface immediately above the lateral malleolus. This border gives attachment to an intermuscular septum, which separates the Extensor muscles on the anterior surface of the leg from the Peronaei longus and brevis on the lateral surface.

The antero-medial border or interosseous crest is situated close to the medial side of the preceding, and runs nearly parallel with it in the upper third of its extent, but diverges from it in the lower two-thirds. It begins above just beneath the head of the bone (sometimes it is quite indistinct for about 2.5 cm. below the head), and ends at the apex of a rough triangular surface immediately above the articular facet of the lateral malleolus. It serves for the attachment of the interosseous membrane, which separates the Extensor muscles in front from the Flexor muscles behind.

The postero-lateral border is prominent; it begins above at the apex, and ends below in the posterior border of the lateral malleolus. It is directed lateralward above, backward in the middle of its course, backward, and a little medialward below, and gives attachment to an aponeurosis which separates the Peronaei on the lateral surface from the Flexor muscles on the posterior surface.

The postero-medial border sometimes called the oblique line begins above at the medial side of the head, and ends by becoming continuous with the interosseous crest at the lower fourth of the bone. It is well-marked and prominent at the upper and middle parts of the bone. It gives attachment to an aponeurosis which separates the Tibialis posterior from the Soleus and Flexor hallucis longus.

http://www.wikimd.org/images/gray/large/image262.gif

FIG. 262– Lower extremity of right fibula. Medial aspect. (Picture From the Classic Gray's Anatomy)

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FIG. 263– Plan of ossification of the fibula. From three centers. (Picture From the Classic Gray's Anatomy)

Surfaces

The anterior surface is the interval between the antero-lateral and antero-medial borders. It is extremely narrow and flat in the upper third of its extent; broader and grooved longitudinally in its lower third; it serves for the origin of three muscles: the Extensor digitorum longus, Extensor hallucis longus, and Peronaeus tertius.

The posterior surface is the space included between the postero-lateral and the postero-medial borders; it is continuous below with the triangular area above the articular surface of the lateral malleolus; it is directed backward above, backward and medialward at its middle, directly medialward below. Its upper third is rough, for the origin of the Soleus; its lower part presents a triangular surface, connected to the tibia by a strong interosseous ligament; the intervening part of the surface is covered by the fibers of origin of the Flexor hallucis longus. Near the middle of this surface is the nutrient foramen, which is directed downward.

The medial surface is the interval included between the antero-medial and the postero-medial borders. It is grooved for the origin of the Tibialis posterior.

The lateral surface is the space between the antero-lateral and postero-lateral borders. It is broad, and often deeply grooved; it is directed lateralward in the upper two-thirds of its course, backward in the lower third, where it is continuous with the posterior border of the lateral malleolus. This surface gives origin to the Peronaei longus and brevis.

The Lower Extremity or Lateral Malleolus (malleolus lateralis; distal extremity; external malleolus)

The lower extremity is of a pyramidal form, and somewhat flattened from side to side; it descends to a lower level than the medial malleolus. The lateral surface is convex, subcutaneous, and continuous with the triangular, subcutaneous surface on the lateral side of the body.

The medial surface (Fig. 262) presents in front a smooth triangular surface, convex from above downward, which articulates with a corresponding surface on the lateral side of the talus. Behind and beneath the articular surface is a rough depression, which gives attachment to the posterior talofibular ligament.

The anterior border is thick and rough, and marked below by a depression for the attachment of the anterior talofibular ligament. The posterior border is broad and presents the shallow malleolar sulcus for the passage of the tendons of the Peronaei longus and brevis. The summit is rounded, and give attachment to the clacaneofibular ligament.

Ossification

The fibula is ossified from three centers (Fig. 263): one for the body, and one for either end. Ossification begins in the body about the eighth week of fetal life, and extends toward the extremities.

At birth the ends are cartilaginous. Ossification commences in the lower end in the second year, and in the upper about the fourth year. The lower epiphysis, the first to ossify, unites with the body about the twentieth year; the upper epiphysis joins about the twenty-fifth year.

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FIG. 264– Left calcaneus, superior surface. (Picture From the Classic Gray's Anatomy)

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FIG. 265– Left calcaneus, inferior surface. (Picture From the Classic Gray's Anatomy)

Function

The fibula does not carry any significant load (weight) of the body. It extends past the lower end of the tibia and forms the outer part of the ankle providing stability to this joint. It has grooves for certain ligaments which gives them leverage and multiplies the muscle force. It provides attachment points for the following muscles:

Muscle attachments (seen from the front)

Muscle attachments (seen from the back)

Muscle	Direction	Attachment
Biceps femoris muscle	Insertion	Head of fibula
Extensor hallucis longus muscle	Origin	Medial side of fibula
Extensor digitorum longus muscle	Origin	Proximal part of the medial side of fibula
Fibularis tertius	Origin	Distal part of the medial side of fibula
Fibularis longus	Origin	Head and the lateral side of fibula
Fibularis brevis	Origin	Distal 2/3 of the lateral side of fibula
Soleus muscle	Origin	Proximal 1/3 of the posterior side of fibula
Tibialis posterior muscle	Origin	Lateral part of the posterior side of fibula
Flexor hallucis longus muscle	Origin	Posterior side of fibula

Additional images

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  Position of fibula (shown in red)

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  3D image

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  Shape of fibula (right)

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  Diagram which depicts ossification of human fibula.

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  Lower extremity of right fibula. Medial aspect.

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  Ankle joint. Deep dissection.

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  Knee and tibiofibular joint. Deep dissection. Anterior view.

External links

• Anatomy photo:17:st-1402 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center

Gray's Anatomy

• Gray's Anatomy Contents
• Gray's Anatomy Subject Index
• About Classic Gray's Anatomy
• Note to Contributors of Gray's Anatomy
• Glossary of anatomy terms

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