
The peroneal muscles, also known as the fibularis muscles, are a group of muscles in the lower leg. They originate from the fibula (lower leg bone) and insert into the bones of the midfoot, called tarsals and metatarsals. The peroneal muscles are composed of three muscles: peroneus longus, peroneus brevis, and peroneus tertius. The peroneus longus and brevis muscles are located in the lateral compartment of the leg, while the peroneus tertius is found in the anterior compartment. These muscles play a crucial role in the movements of the ankle joint and support of the foot, including eversion and plantar flexion. The peroneal muscles are innervated by the superficial peroneal nerve, a branch of the common fibular nerve, and receive their blood supply from various arteries, including the fibular artery and the anterior tibial artery.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Group of muscles | Peroneal muscles (also called fibularis muscles) |
| Number of muscles | 3 (peroneus longus, peroneus brevis, peroneus tertius) |
| Muscle group origin | Fibula (lower leg bone) |
| Muscle group insertion | Tarsals and metatarsals (bones in the midfoot) |
| Muscle group location | Peroneus longus and brevis—lateral side of the leg; peroneus tertius—anterior side of the leg |
| Innervation | Superficial fibular nerve (L5, S1), a branch of the common fibular nerve |
| Blood supply | Fibular artery; posterior peroneal artery; branches of the anterior tibial and medial tarsal arteries |
| Function | Eversion and plantar flexion of the foot; support of the foot arches |
| Tendons | Peroneus longus tendon inserts into the first metatarsal; peroneus brevis tendon inserts into the fifth metatarsal |
| Tendinopathy | Peroneal tendinopathy can be challenging to distinguish from lateral ankle ligament pathology |
| Injury | Peroneal tendon injuries are common in young, active individuals, especially those participating in sports |
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What You'll Learn

Peroneal muscles originate from the fibula
The peroneal muscles, also known as the fibular muscles, are a group of muscles in the lateral compartment of the lower leg. The peroneal muscles originate from the fibula and insert onto the plantar surfaces of certain tarsal and metatarsal bones. These muscles play a crucial role in the movements of the ankle joint and provide support to the foot.
The fibularis longus muscle is one of the peroneal muscles that originate from the fibula. It arises from the head and proximal two-thirds of the lateral surface of the fibula, as well as the adjacent surface of the intermuscular septum. The tendon of the fibularis longus passes behind the lateral malleolus and reaches the plantar compartment of the foot. It then courses anteriorly along the lateral edge of the foot, inserting on the plantar side of the medial cuneiform and first metatarsal bone. The function of the fibularis longus is to plantar flex and evert the foot, and it also provides support to the arches of the foot.
The fibularis brevis muscle is another peroneal muscle that originates from the fibula. It arises from the distal two-thirds of the lateral surface of the fibula and the adjacent intermuscular septum. The tendon of the fibularis brevis passes behind the lateral malleolus and inserts on the tuberosity of the fifth metatarsal bone. The primary function of the fibularis brevis is the eversion of the foot.
The peroneal muscles are innervated by the superficial peroneal nerve, a branch of the common fibular nerve, which itself stems from the sciatic nerve. The blood supply to the peroneal muscles is provided by the posterior peroneal artery and branches of the medial tarsal artery. The tendons of these muscles are encapsulated in a vascular-rich paratenon, although there are avascular areas where the tendons bend around bony prominences.
The peroneal muscles are susceptible to various pathologies, including tendinosis, tendon tears, tenosynovitis, subluxation, and dislocation, which can result in posterolateral ankle pain. Accurate diagnosis can be challenging, as distinguishing peroneal tendinopathy from lateral ankle ligament pathology solely on clinical findings may be difficult.
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They insert into the bones of the midfoot
The peroneal muscles are also known as the fibular muscles or fibularis muscles. They are a group of muscles in the lower leg, specifically in the lateral (fibular, peroneal) compartment of the leg. The peroneal muscles originate from the fibula (lower leg bone).
The peroneal muscles are made up of three muscles: the peroneus longus, peroneus brevis, and peroneus tertius. The peroneus longus and peroneus brevis are located in the lateral compartment of the leg, while the peroneus tertius is located in the anterior compartment.
The peroneus longus and peroneus brevis muscles both insert into the bones of the midfoot. They convert into tendons at the lower end, which run side by side and pass behind the outer bump of the ankle. The peroneus longus tendon inserts into the first metatarsal (related to the big toe), while the peroneus brevis tendon inserts into the fifth metatarsal (related to the smallest toe). These tendons insert into the lower surface of these metatarsals.
The peroneal muscles play a role in the movements of the ankle joint and support of the foot. They are responsible for eversion and plantar flexion of the foot. The peroneus longus acts primarily to produce plantarflexion of the first ray of the foot, while the peroneus brevis is responsible for 63% of the power needed to evert the foot. It also assists in plantar flexion along with the peroneus longus.
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Peroneus longus and brevis muscles are present on the lateral side of the leg
The peroneal muscles, also known as the fibularis muscles, are a group of muscles in the lower leg. They originate from the fibula, which is a lower leg bone, and insert into the bones of the mid-foot, called tarsals and metatarsals. These muscles play a role in the movements of the ankle joint and support of the foot.
The peroneal muscle group normally consists of three muscles: the peroneus longus, peroneus brevis, and peroneus tertius. The peroneus longus and brevis muscles are present on the lateral side of the leg, while the peroneus tertius is present on the anterior side. The peroneus longus is the most superficial of the three muscles and is present high on the lateral side of the leg. It originates from the head and proximal two-thirds of the lateral surface of the shaft of the fibula, as well as the adjacent surface of the intermuscular septum.
The peroneus brevis is also present on the lateral side of the leg, just inside the peroneus longus muscle. It is a short muscle that lies deep to the peroneus longus. The peroneus brevis originates from the distal two-thirds of the lateral surface of the fibula and the adjacent intermuscular septum. It is located deep and anterior to the peroneus longus muscle. The peroneus longus and brevis muscles work together to plantarflex and evert the foot at the ankle, with the peroneus longus also producing plantarflexion of the first ray of the foot.
Both the peroneus longus and brevis muscles are innervated by the superficial peroneal nerve, which is a branch of the common fibular nerve and originally stems from the sciatic nerve. The blood supply for these muscles comes from the posterior peroneal artery and branches of the medial tarsal artery. The peroneal tendons are extensions of the peroneus longus and brevis muscles that make up the lateral compartment of the leg. These tendons pass behind the lateral malleolus and reach the plantar compartment of the foot.
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Peroneal muscles are innervated by the superficial peroneal nerve
The peroneal muscles, also known as the fibular muscles or fibularis muscles, are a group of muscles in the lower leg. They originate from the fibula, which is a lower leg bone, and insert into the bones of the midfoot, called tarsals and metatarsals. These muscles play a role in the movements of the ankle joint and support of the foot.
The peroneal muscles are composed of three muscles: fibularis longus, fibularis brevis, and fibularis tertius. The fibularis longus and fibularis brevis are located in the lateral compartment of the leg, while the fibularis tertius is located in the anterior compartment. The fibularis longus and brevis muscles are responsible for eversion and plantar flexion of the foot, while the tertius muscle pulls the foot upward (dorsiflexion).
The peroneal muscles are innervated by the superficial peroneal nerve, also known as the superficial fibular nerve. This nerve is a branch of the common fibular nerve, which stems from the sciatic nerve. The superficial peroneal nerve supplies both the fibularis longus and fibularis brevis muscles.
The fibularis longus muscle originates from the head and proximal two-thirds of the lateral surface of the fibula, as well as the adjacent surface of the intermuscular septum. It descends in a vertical fashion and gives off a tendon midway through the lateral compartment of the leg. The tendon passes behind the lateral malleolus and reaches the plantar compartment of the foot. The fibularis longus muscle is innervated by the superficial peroneal nerve and plays a role in plantar flexion and eversion of the foot. It also provides support to the arches of the foot.
The fibularis brevis muscle originates from the distal two-thirds of the lateral surface of the fibula and the adjacent intermuscular septum. It is located deep and anterior to the fibularis longus muscle. The muscle fibres descend towards the foot and give off a tendon just proximal to the ankle. The tendon passes behind the lateral malleolus and inserts into the fifth metatarsal bone. The fibularis brevis muscle is also innervated by the superficial peroneal nerve and is responsible for the eversion of the foot.
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Peroneal tendons are extensions of the peroneus longus and brevis muscles
The peroneal tendons are extensions of the peroneus longus and brevis muscles, which are also known as the fibularis muscles. These muscles originate from the fibula (lower leg bone) and insert into the bones of the midfoot, specifically the tarsals and metatarsals. The peroneal muscles are located in the lateral compartment of the leg, with the peroneus longus muscle originating from the lateral tibial condyle and the head of the fibula, and the peroneus brevis muscle originating from the middle third of the fibula and the intermuscular septum.
The peroneal tendons play an important role in the movement and stability of the ankle joint and support of the foot. The peroneus longus muscle acts primarily to produce plantarflexion of the first ray of the foot, while both muscles contribute to plantarflexion and eversion of the foot at the ankle. The peroneus longus is also involved in supporting the arches of the foot. The peroneus brevis, being a shorter muscle, is attached to the fibula lower than the peroneus longus.
The tendons of these muscles pass behind the lateral malleolus and insert into the metatarsal bones. The peroneus longus tendon inserts into the first metatarsal, related to the big toe, while the peroneus brevis tendon inserts into the fifth metatarsal, related to the smallest toe. Both tendons insert into the lower surface of these metatarsals. The peroneal tendons are encapsulated in a vascular-rich paratenon, providing them with a good blood supply. However, there is a short area of avascularity where the tendons bend around bony prominences.
Injuries to the peroneal tendons are common, especially in young, active individuals and those participating in sports such as football and running. The peroneus brevis tendon is the most commonly dislocated tendon, often injured during a lateral ankle sprain. Peroneal tendon injuries can cause lateral ankle pain and may lead to ankle instability. Accurate diagnosis of peroneal tendinopathy can be challenging as it may be difficult to distinguish from lateral ankle ligament pathology based solely on clinical findings.
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Frequently asked questions
The peroneal muscles are a group of muscles that originate from the fibula (lower leg bone) and are therefore also known as fibularis muscles. They are located in the lateral compartment of the leg.
The peroneal muscles are made up of three muscles: fibularis longus, fibularis brevis, and fibularis tertius.
The peroneal muscles are involved in the movement of the ankle joint and support of the foot. They help to keep the legs steady upon the feet. They also move the sole of the foot outward, away from the midline of the body (eversion) and extend the foot downward away from the body (plantar flexion).
Peroneal tendon injuries are common in young, active individuals and those who participate in sports. Symptoms of a peroneal muscle injury may include posterolateral ankle pain that worsens with activity and improves with rest.










































