216 



Joints of the Lower Extremity. 



Ligamentum 

 capituli fibulae 



Corpus tibiae 



Corpus fibulae 



Membrana 

 interossea cruris 



Ligamentum 



malleoli lateralis 



anterius 



Malleolus 

 lateralis 



Tuberositas 

 tibiae 



Malleolus 

 medialis 



262. Ligaments of the 



right leg, from in front. 



The tibia and fibula are united by 

 two joints, one above and one below, 

 besides throughout nearly their whole 

 length by the membrana interossea cruris. 



The articulatio tibiofibularis 

 (0. T. superior tibioh'bular articulation) 

 (see also Figs. 255 257) arises through 

 the apposition of the facies articularis 

 capituli fibulae and the facies articularis 

 fibularis tibiae. The tight capsula arti- 

 cularis arises from both bones generally 

 close to the margin of the cartilaginous 

 surface. On the anterior surface and often 

 also on the posterior, a strengthening 

 ligament, the iifjamentum capituli fibu- 

 lae, (0. T. anteri* >r and posterior superior 

 tibiofibular ligaments) runs transversely 

 or somewhat obliquely lateralward and 

 downward. In addition the ligamentum 

 collaterale fibulare and the retinaculum 

 ligamenti arcuati of the knee joint are 

 to be regarded as strengthening liga- 

 ments (in the wider sense) for the arti- 

 culatio tibiofibularis. The joint com- 

 municates sometimes with the bursa 

 [inucosa] m. poplitei and through this 

 indirectly with the knee joint. 



The membrana interossea cruris 

 (0. T. middle tibiofibular ligament or 

 interosseous membrane) is stretched out 

 as a broad lamella between the cristae 

 interosseae of the tibia and fibula. The 

 fibres usually assume a course des- 

 cending toward the fibula. Above, 

 between the membrane and the articu- 

 latio tibiofibularis, there remains a 

 large opening for the passage of vessels 

 and nerves. 



The syndesmosis tibioflbularis 

 (0. T. inferior tibiofibular articulation) 

 (see also Figs. 263 , 264 and 271) is 

 the moveable union between the medial 

 surface of the malleolus lateralis (above 

 the facies articularis malleoli) and the 

 incisura fibularis tibiae. The bony sur- 

 faces opposed to one another are covered 

 only sometimes in their most anterior 

 portion by hyaline cartilage, otherwise 

 always by periosteum with a fatty sub- 

 stratum in parts; between the two, 

 projecting upward from the articulatio 

 talocruralis is a small slit-shaped pocket. 

 In front and behind a strong ligament 

 runs transversely over the joint, the 

 lifjamenta malleoli lateralis. The 

 Iifjamentum malleoli lateralis anterius 

 extends as a flat cord from the region 

 in front of the incisura fibularis tibiae 

 obliquely downward to the anterior sur- 

 face of the malleolus lateralis. 



