Quick Facts
Origin: Medial surface of fibula and adjacent interosseous membrane of leg.
Insertion: Dorsal aspect of base of distal phalanx of great toe.
Action: Extends great toe; dorsiflexes foot at ankle joint.
Innervation: Deep fibular nerve (L5).
Arterial Supply: Anterior tibial artery and perforating branch of fibular artery.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The extensor hallucis longus muscle originates from the:
- middle one third of the medial surface of fibula;
- anterior aspect of the adjacent interosseous membrane of leg.
Insertion
The fibers of the extensor hallucis longus muscle travel inferomedially to the foot and insert, via a long tendon, onto the dorsal aspect of the base of the distal phalanx of the great toe.
Key Features & Anatomical Relations
The extensor hallucis longus muscle is found in the anterior compartment of the leg. It is a long, thin, unipennate type of skeletal muscle. Superior to the ankle, the muscle belly gives rise to a tendon which travels deep to the superior and inferior extensor retinacula of the foot, where it passes through the tendinous sheath of extensor hallucis longus. Along the dorsum of the foot, the tendon then travels anteromedially to its insertion site.
The extensor hallucis longus muscle is located:
- superficial to the fibula and interosseous membrane of the leg;
- medial to the extensor digitorum longus muscle;
- lateral to the tibialis anterior muscle.
Actions & Testing
The extensor hallucis longus muscle is involved in multiple actions:
- extends the distal phalanx of great toe at its interphalangeal joint;
- extends the proximal phalanx of great toe at the first metatarsophalangeal joint;
- dorsiflexes the foot at the ankle joint.
The extensor hallucis longus muscle can be tested by extending the great against resistance, during which its tendon can be seen and palpated (Standring, 2016).
References
Standring, S. (2016) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Gray's Anatomy Series 41st edn.: Elsevier Limited.
