Fibula
The fibula is the slender lateral bone of the leg. Unlike the tibia, it does not bear body weight but provides muscle attachments and forms part of the ankle joint. It is important for ankle stability.
Key Features
Articulations
- •Superior tibiofibular joint (head with tibia) - plane synovial
- •Inferior tibiofibular joint (with tibia) - syndesmosis
- •Ankle joint (lateral malleolus with talus) - part of mortise
Muscle Attachments
Clinical Relevance
The common fibular nerve wraps around the fibular neck and is vulnerable to injury causing foot drop. Lateral malleolus fractures are common ankle injuries. The fibula is used as a bone graft donor site.
Fibula FAQs
Common questions about this bone
No, the fibula does not bear significant body weight (only about 10%). The tibia bears most of the weight. The fibula's main functions are muscle attachment and ankle joint stability.
The lateral malleolus is the distal end of the fibula that forms the lateral bump of the ankle. It articulates with the talus and provides lateral stability to the ankle joint.
The common fibular (peroneal) nerve wraps around the fibular neck superficially and is vulnerable to injury from direct trauma or compression (like crossing legs). Damage causes foot drop.
The fibula is commonly used for bone grafts because it is non-weight-bearing, has good length, and can be harvested with its blood supply intact (vascularized fibula graft) for reconstructive surgery.