The muscles in the lower leg are divided into several compartments.
The muscles in the anterior compartment include the tibialis
anterior, extensor halluscis longus, extensor digitorum longus, and
peroneous tertius. This group of muscle primarily extends the toes
and dorsiflexes the ankle. When there is inflammation in the
anterior compartment a painful condition called shinsplints can
occur.
Review Date: 07/28/2010
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of
Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of
Medicine; and C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Assistant Professor, Chief,
Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of
Orthopaedic Surgery. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical
Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
