Identification of leg structures is most easily accomplished by working in compartments. Let's begin in the anterior compartment.

Anterior Compartment

Identify the medial and lateral sides of the leg and foot. Now find the tibia. By working your way lateral from the tibia, you can identify most of the structures of the leg.

About mid-way up on the leg, find the large muscle that lies against, and is attached to, the tibia - the tibialis anterior. Find its distal attachment on the navicular bone and metacarpals.

If you look slightly distal and lateral to the tibialis anterior, you'll see the deeper placed extensor hallucis longus. Trace its tendon to the distal phalanx of the great toe.

In between these last two muscles, locate the anterior tibial artery and the deep peroneal nerve. If you look closely at the anterior tibial artery, you may see the venae comitantes (accompanying veins) of the tibial veins. The most laterally placed muscle in this anterior compartment is the extensor digitorum longus. Observe how this muscle attaches to a common tendon, which splits into four tendons running to digits 2-5.

On the most lateral and inferior edge of the extensor digitorum longus, find the peroneus tertius muscle. This small muscle appears to be a part of the extensor digitorum longus, but its distal attachment on the fifth metatarsal individualizes this muscle.

On the anterior surface of the ankle, there are two bands of deep fascia just superior and inferior to the joint. These extensor retinacula serve to keep the tendons of the anterior compartment muscles from "bowstringing" away from the anterior side of the ankle.