Structure
The interosseous membrane of the leg connects the shafts of the tibia and fibula together. It is a tough, collagenous tissue and its fibers descend obliquely.
Anatomical Relations
The interosseous membrane attaches to the interosseous borders along the length of the tibia and fibula. The anterior and posterior tibiofibular ligaments reinforce the expanded end of the interosseous membrane (Drake, Vogl and Mitchell, 2014). There is a large oval opening near the proximal end of the membrane through which the anterior tibial artery passes. At the distal end of the interosseous membrane, there is an opening from which the perforating branch of the fibular artery passes through (Standring, 2016).
Function
The interosseous membrane connects the tibia with the fibula and, thus, strengthens the inferior tibiofibular joint and provides an increased surface area for the attachment of the deep flexor and extensor muscles of the leg (Lumley et al., 2018). The interosseous membrane, along with the intermuscular septa, divides the leg into anterior, lateral, and posterior compartments.
List of Clinical Correlates
—Compartment syndrome
References
Drake, R., Vogl, A. W. and Mitchell, A. W. M. (2014) Gray's Anatomy for Students E-Book. Gray's Anatomy: Elsevier Health Sciences.
Lumley, J. S. P., Craven, J. L., Abrahams, P. H. and Tunstall, R. G. (2018) Bailey & Love's Essential Clinical Anatomy. CRC Press.
Standring, S. (2016) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Gray's Anatomy Series 41st edn.: Elsevier Limited.
