Logan Steele
The muscles in the human body are divided into multiple compartments, with each compartment containing one or more muscles. The upper limb, for example, is divided into three regions: the hand, the arm, and the forearm. The two proximal regions are further divided into two compartments, namely the anterior and posterior compartments. The muscles in each compartment are often supplied by the same nerve. The leg, on the other hand, is divided into three muscular compartments: the anterior, lateral, and posterior compartments. The posterior compartment, for instance, is composed of large muscles and is a major contributor to our mobility, especially in walking and running.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | An enclosed space formed by fascia or a combination of fascia and bone that contains one or more muscles |
| Components | Skeletal muscle tissue, connective tissue, nerve tissue, and blood or vascular tissue |
| Function | Contraction, facilitated by an abundant supply of blood vessels and nerves |
| Structure | A whole skeletal muscle is considered a single organ of the muscular system |
| Divisions | The anterior, lateral, and posterior compartments |
| Examples of muscles in the anterior compartment | Tibialis anterior, extensor digitorum longus, extensor hallucis longus, and fibularis tertius |
| Examples of muscles in the lateral compartment | Fibularis longus and brevis |
| Examples of muscles in the posterior compartment | Soleus, gastrocnemius, and plantaris |
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What You'll Learn
- Muscle compartments are formed by fascia or a combination of fascia and bone
- The upper limb is divided into three regions: the hand, the arm, and the forearm
- The anterior compartment contains muscles that dorsiflex or extend the foot at the ankle joint
- The lateral compartment contains muscles involved in eversion of the foot
- The posterior compartment is made up of large muscles that contribute to mobility
Muscle compartments are formed by fascia or a combination of fascia and bone
Muscle compartments are enclosed spaces formed by fascia or a combination of fascia and bone. Fascia is a type of connective tissue that surrounds and separates muscles into distinct compartments. It provides structural support and helps to organise the muscles of the limbs and torso into functional groups.
In the upper limb, for example, the arm is divided into two main compartments: the anterior and posterior compartments. These compartments are formed by deep fascia, which extends from the centrally located humerus bone. The fascia divides into two intermuscular septa, creating a boundary between the anterior and posterior compartments. The anterior compartment contains muscles such as the biceps brachii and coracobrachialis, while the posterior compartment houses the triceps brachii and anconeus muscles.
Similarly, the leg is divided into three main muscle compartments: the anterior, lateral, and posterior compartments. The anterior and lateral compartments occupy a small portion of the muscular volume of the leg. The posterior compartment, on the other hand, is larger and contributes significantly to mobility in walking and running. It is composed of large muscles that can be further divided into deep and superficial groups.
The deep posterior group includes muscles such as the flexor digitorum longus and tibialis posterior, which are involved in flexion of the toes and stabilisation of the knee and arch of the foot. The superficial group includes muscles like the soleus and gastrocnemius, which are responsible for plantar flexion, allowing us to stand on our tiptoes.
The fascia surrounding these muscle compartments not only separates and organises the muscles but also encapsulates neurovasculature and provides structural integrity to the limb. Understanding the anatomy of these compartments is essential for diagnosing and treating conditions such as compartment syndrome.
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The upper limb is divided into three regions: the hand, the arm, and the forearm
The arm is made up of a single bone, the humerus, which forms the elbow joint with the ulna and radius bones of the forearm. The radial nerve travels within the arm and supplies the extensor compartment of the arm and forearm. The median nerve supplies the thenar eminence and the first two (radial side) lumbricals in the hand. The brachial plexus supplies all the nerves in the upper extremity.
The forearm contains two bones, the ulna and the radius. The ulna is located medially, and the radius is located laterally. The radius acts as a wheel, with the annular ligament holding it in place. The brachial artery divides into the radial and ulnar, which run down the forearm on their respective sides.
The hand contains eight carpal bones at its base and five metacarpal bones in the palm. The fingers and thumb contain a total of fourteen phalanges. The hand is a complex structure, with a wide range of movements, making it perfect for working with tools.
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The anterior compartment contains muscles that dorsiflex or extend the foot at the ankle joint
The human body consists of multiple anatomically distinct compartments that contain muscles. These compartments are enclosed spaces formed by fascia or a combination of fascia and bone. The muscles in each compartment are often supplied by the same nerve.
The leg, for example, is divided into three muscular compartments: anterior, lateral, and posterior. The anterior and lateral compartments occupy only a small portion of the muscular volume of the leg. The posterior compartment, on the other hand, is larger and contains big muscles that contribute significantly to our mobility, particularly in walking and running.
The anterior compartment, also known as the extensor compartment, contains muscles that dorsiflex or extend the foot at the ankle joint. These muscles include the tibialis anterior, extensor digitorum longus, extensor hallucis longus, and fibularis tertius. Additionally, the anterior tibial artery and vein, as well as the deep fibular nerve, are found within this compartment.
The movement of dorsiflexion involves the pulling of the foot upward toward the shin. This movement occurs at the ankle joint, which allows the foot to extend. The muscles in the anterior compartment are responsible for this dorsiflexion or extension of the foot.
The anterior compartment is separated from the deep posterior group by the tibia, fibula, and the interosseous membrane. The deep posterior group contains muscles involved in flexion of the toes, such as the flexor digitorum longus and flexor hallucis longus, as well as stabilization of the knee and arch of the foot.
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The lateral compartment contains muscles involved in eversion of the foot
The human leg is divided into three muscular compartments: the anterior, lateral, and posterior compartments. Each compartment houses a unique set of muscles that carry out specific functions. The muscles of the leg exert their action on the ankle, foot, and toes.
The lateral compartment, also known as the peroneal or fibular compartment, contains muscles involved in the eversion of the foot and ankle plantarflexion. The two muscles that make up this compartment are the fibularis longus and brevis, which are innervated by the superficial fibular nerve. The fibularis longus is the longer and more superficial of the two muscles, originating from the head and upper portion of the fibula. The fibularis brevis lies just beneath the fibularis longus and is shorter, originating from the lower two-thirds of the fibula. Together, these muscles help in the plantar flexion and eversion of the foot.
The anterior compartment, also known as the extensor compartment, includes muscles that contribute to the dorsiflexion of the foot. This compartment houses the tibialis anterior, extensor hallucis longus, and extensor digitorum longus muscles. The tibialis anterior muscle is the thickest and is involved in foot inversion. The extensor hallucis longus and extensor digitorum longus extend the great toe and other toes, respectively.
The posterior compartment, also known as the flexor compartment, contains muscles involved in ankle plantarflexion, foot inversion, and knee flexion. This compartment is divided into superficial and deep layers. The superficial group includes the gastrocnemius, soleus, and plantaris muscles, commonly referred to as the calf muscles. The posterior deep layer muscles include the popliteus, tibialis posterior, flexor digitorum longus, and flexor hallucis longus.
The foot itself also has compartments, with 19 intrinsic foot muscles and 10 extrinsic muscles that originate outside the foot but act on it.
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The posterior compartment is made up of large muscles that contribute to mobility
The human body is divided into several muscle compartments. The muscles of the limbs are divided into discrete compartments, with the upper limb divided into three regions: the hand, the arm, and the forearm. The two proximal regions are further anatomically divided into two compartments, namely anterior and posterior.
The posterior compartment of the leg is a major contributor to our mobility, specifically in walking and running, and is thus composed of large muscles. The posterior compartment contains seven muscles and can be subdivided into superficial and deep compartments. The muscles in this compartment act to plantarflex and invert the foot. They are innervated by the tibial nerve (a branch of the sciatic nerve). Blood supply chiefly comes from the posterior tibial artery. There are three muscles within the superficial compartment of the posterior leg. They all insert onto the calcaneus (heel bone) of the foot, via the calcaneal tendon.
The muscles in the deep posterior group are involved with flexion of the toes as well as stabilization of the knee and arch of the foot, and are called flexor digitorum longus, flexor hallucis longus, tibialis posterior and popliteus. The flexor hallucis longus muscle is located laterally within the posterior compartment (this is slightly counter-intuitive, as it is the opposite side to the great toe). It originates from the posterior surface of the fibula and attaches to the plantar surface of the phalanx of the great toe. The tibialis posterior is the deepest out of the four muscles. It lies between the flexor digitorum longus and the flexor hallucis longus.
The muscles in the posterior compartment of the forearm are commonly known as the extensor muscles. The general function of these muscles is to produce extension at the wrist and fingers. They are all innervated by the radial nerve. The muscles in this compartment are organised into two layers deep and superficial. There are five muscles in the deep compartment of the posterior forearm – the supinator, abductor pollicis longus, extensor pollicis brevis, extensor pollicis longus and extensor indicis.
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Frequently asked questions
A muscle compartment is an enclosed space formed by fascia or a combination of fascia and bone that contains one or more muscles.
The upper limb is divided into three regions: the hand, the arm, and the forearm. The two proximal regions are further divided into two compartments, namely anterior and posterior. In addition to the bony framework, an impressive organisation of deep fascia forms the divisions of these compartments.
The leg is divided into three muscle compartments: anterior, lateral, and posterior. The anterior and lateral compartments occupy only a small portion of the muscular volume of the leg. The posterior compartment is composed of large muscles and is a major contributor to mobility, specifically in walking and running.
