THE LEG. 



FIG. 85. The nerves and vessels upon the anterior aspect of the leg and foot. 

 FIG. 86. A cross-section through the upper half of the leg. 



ternal condyle of the femur upward and inward in the capsular ligament. [The ligamentum 

 popliteum obliquum (the ligamentum posticum Winslowii) and the ligamentum popliteum arcua- 

 tum are usually regarded as reinforcements of the posterior ligament which is attached to the 

 femur above and the tibia below. ED.] 



No joint possesses so many bursas as the knee-joint, and diseases of the bursas are conse- 

 quently more frequent here than in any other situation. The bursas communicating with the 

 articular cavity (blue in Fig. 84) are: (i) The bursa suprapatellaris. (2) The bursa between 

 the semimembranosus and inner head of the gastrocnemius muscles. In effusions into the 

 knee-joint this important bursa is frequently demonstrable as a fluctuating tumor upon the 

 posterior and inner aspect of the knee. (3) The bursa oj the popliteus muscle; this may extend 

 outward and communicate with the superior tibiofibular articulation. 



The bursas not communicating with the articular cavity (red in Fig. 84) are: (i) The pre- 

 patellar bursas, of which three may sometimes be distinctly differentiated (bursae subcutanea, 

 subfascialis, and subtendinea) ; as a rule, they communicate with each other more or less. They 

 frequently become inflamed, and such a condition should not be confounded with arthritis. (2) 

 The deep injrapatellar bursa, between the ligamentum patellae and the tibia. (3) The sub- 

 cutaneous bursa over the tubercle of the tibia. (4) The bursa anserina, between the tendons of 

 the sartorius, semitendinosus, and gracilis muscles and the tibia. The sartorius muscle fre- 

 quently possesses an individual bursa which does not communicate with the bursa anserina. 



THE LEG. 



The muscles of the leg are so arranged that the only portions of the bones which may be 

 distinctly felt are the inner surface, the crest, and the internal malleolus of the tibia, and the 

 head and external malleolus of the fibula. Owing to the subcutaneous position of the internal 

 surface of the tibia, fractures of the bone in this situation are frequently made compound by 

 concomitant injury of the integument. The extensor muscles are situated anteriorly to the 

 outer side of the tibial crest between the tibia and the fibula. Posteriorly the curve of the calf 

 is produced by the triceps sura muscle, the tendon of which (tendo Achillis) may be distinctly 

 felt in the lower part of the leg. The entire musculature may be subdivided into three groups: 

 anteriorly upon the interosseous membrane and between the tibia and the fibula are the exten- 

 sors; externally, the fibula is surrounded by the fibular group; posteriorly is the flexor group, 

 which may be 'further 'differentiated into a superficial and a deep layer. The anterior intermus- 

 cular septum, passing from the deep fascia to the fibula, separates the extensors from the fibular 

 group of the peronei muscles; the posterior intermuscular septum passes from the deep fascia 

 to the fibula, in a similar manner, and divides the peroneal muscles from the flexor group. On 

 the posterior aspect of the leg the deep layer of the crural fascia is inserted between the super- 

 ficial and the deep group of the flexors. 



I. Extensor Muscles.- (i) The tibialis anticus takes origin from the outer surface of the 



