Fascia · Ankle

Inferior extensor retinaculum

Retinaculum musculorum extensorum inferius

A Y-shaped strap across the front of the ankle and instep. Its stem is anchored on the outer side to the upper surface of the heel bone, and it divides into an upper limb that runs to the inner ankle bone and a lower limb that sweeps across the instep to blend with the fascia of the sole. Beneath its arms pass the tendons that lift the foot and toes, together with the anterior tibial vessels and the deep fibular nerve. It is the lower of the two straps that keep those tendons hugging the front of the ankle instead of standing away from it when the foot lifts.