THE LEG 



1189 



the middle and lower thirds, the most common site of fracture. Beliind the 

 internal malleolus, part of the groove for and the tendon of the til)ialis posticus 

 can he felt. 



The head of the libula can be felt distinctly, but the shaft soon becomes buried 

 amongst muscles till about three inches above the external malleolus, where the 

 l)one expands into a lar^e triangular subcutaneous surface. This lies between the 

 peroneus tertius and the other two jjeronei. The peroneus longus overlaps the 

 brevis, especially in the upper two-thirds of the leg. In the lower third the brevis 



Fig. 754. — Anasto.moses of Tihiai, Arteries. 



Anterior tibial recurrent ■ 



^^^i v> 



Posterior tibial, giving off muscular and 

 viedullary branches 



Anaslumosis 0/ internal malleolar of anterior i 



tibial uith posterior internal malleolar 



Internal calcanean . 

 Internal and external plantar 



Pllh 



'/: ^: 



/ 



Popliteal 



A nterior tibial, giving off posterior tibial 

 recurrent and .luperior fibular before 

 pirrcing interosseous membrane and 

 anterior tibial afterwards 



Peroneal 



A nterior peroneal 

 Posterior peroneal 



-- Oommunicating 



■External malleolar of anterior tibial joining 

 posterior peroneal 



- ASTRAGALUS 



■ External calcanean 



■CALCANEUM 



tends to become anterior (fig. 756). Behind the external malleolus these tendons 

 descend to the foot in very close relation to the bone. The shaft of the fibula is 

 placed on a plane posterior to that of the tibia, and curves backwards in a direction 

 reverse to that of the tibia. 



Muscular prominences. — The space between the tibia and fibuhv is mainly 

 occupied by the fleshy belly of the tibialis anticus; outside this, and much less 

 prominent, is the narrower extensor longus digitorum; outside this, again, are the 

 peronei longus and brevis. Lower down, in an interval l)etween the til)ialis and tlie 



