Muscle · Lower leg

Fibularis tertius

Musculus fibularis tertius

In practice this is the outermost part of extensor digitorum longus that has separated off and gone to the fifth metatarsal instead of to a toe. It arises from the lower front of the fibula and the membrane beside it, and its tendon runs down the front of the ankle and out to the base of the little toe's metatarsal. The name misleads: despite being called a fibularis muscle, it is not in the lateral compartment with fibularis longus and brevis, it is in the ANTERIOR compartment with the toe extensors and takes their nerve. It lifts the foot and turns the sole outward at the same time, and it is absent in a proportion of legs.