Fascia · Ankle

Superior extensor retinaculum

Retinaculum musculorum extensorum superius

A broad flat band stretched like a bracelet between the front borders of the tibia and the fibula, just above the ankle joint. The tendons of tibialis anterior, extensor hallucis longus, extensor digitorum longus and fibularis tertius all pass beneath it, along with the anterior tibial artery and the deep fibular nerve. It is not a separate ligament but simply the lowest part of the leg's fascial sleeve, thickened where it has to hold tendons against a change of direction. Its older name, the transverse crural ligament, is still in common use.