Tibia

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tibia /tbi/ (pluraltibiae /tbii/ or tibias), also known as
theshinbone or shankbone, is the larger and stronger of the two bones in
the legbelow the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula), and it connects
the knee with theankle bones. The tibia is found on the medial side of the leg next
to the fibula, and closer to the median plane or centre-line. The tibia is connected to
the fibula by the interosseous membrane of the leg, forming a type of fibrous
joint called a syndesmosiswith very little movement. The tibia is named for the
flute tibia. It is the second largest bone in the human body next to the femur. The
leg bones are the strongest long bones as they support the rest of the body.
Contents
[hide]

1Structure
o

1.1Features

1.2Blood supply

1.3Joints

1.4Development

2Function
o

2.1Muscle attachments

2.2Strength

3Clinical significance
o

3.1Fracture

4Society and culture

5Other animals

6Additional images

7See also

8References

9External links

Structure[edit]
In human anatomy the tibia is the second largest bone next to thefemur. As in other
vertebrates the tibia is one of two bones in the lower leg, the other being the fibula,

and is a component of the knee and ankle joints. The leg bones (femur, tibia and
fibula) are the strongestlong bones as they have to support the rest of the body.
The ossification or formation of the bone starts from three centers; one in the shaft
and one in each extremity.
The tibia is categorized as a long bone and is as such composed of adiaphysis and
two epiphyses. The diaphysis is the midsection of the tibia also known as shaft or

Muscle attachments (seen from back)

Muscle attachments (seen from front)
body. While the epiphyses are the two rounded extremities of the bone;
an upper (also known as superior or proximal) closest to the thigh and a lower (also
known as inferior or distal) closest to the foot. The tibia is most contracted in the
lower third and the distal extremity is smaller than the proximal.
Features[edit]
The proximal or upper extremity of the tibia is expanded in the transverse plane
with a medial andlateral condyle, which are both flattened in the horizontal plane.
The medial condyle is the largest of the two and is better supported over theshaft.
The upper surfaces of the condyles articulateswith the femur to form the
tibiofemoral joint, the weightbearing part of the kneejoint. [1]
The medial and lateral condyle are separated by the intercondylar area, where
the cruciate ligaments and the menisci attach. Here the medialand lateral
intercondylar tubercle forms the intercondylar eminence. Together with the medial

and lateral condyle the intercondylar region forms the tibial plateau, which both
articulates with and is anchored to the lower extremity of the femur. The
intercondylar eminence divides the intercondylar area into an anterior and posterior
part. The anterolateral region of the anterior intercondylar area are perforated by
numerous small openings for nutrient arteries.[1] The articular surfaces of both
condyles are concave, particularly centrally. The flatter outer margins are in contact
with the menisci. The medial condyles superior surface is oval in form and extends
laterally onto the side of medial intercondylar tubercle. The lateral condyles
superior surface is more circular in form and its medial edge extends onto the side
of the lateral intercondylar tubercle. The posterior surface of the medial condyle
bears a horizontal groove for part of the attachment of thesemimembranosus
muscle, whereas the lateral condyle has a circular facet for articulation with
the head of fibula.[1] Beneath the condyles is the tibial tuberosity which serves for
attachment of the patellar ligament, a continuation of the quadriceps femoris
muscle.[1]
The shaft or body of the tibia is triangular in cross-section and forms three borders:
An anterior, medial and lateral or interosseous border. These three borders form
three surfaces; the medial, lateral and posterior. [2] The forward flat part of the tibia
is called the fibia, often confused with the fibula. [citation needed]
The lower extremity of the tibia is much smaller than the upper extremity and
presents five surfaces; it is prolonged downward on its medial side as a strong
process, the medial malleolus. The lower extremity of the tibia together with the
fibula and talus forms the ankle joint.
Blood supply[edit]
The tibia is supplied with blood from two sources: A nutrient artery, as the main
source, and periosteal vessels derived from the anterior tibial artery.[3]
Joints[edit]
The tibia is a part of four joints; the knee, ankle, superior and inferior tibiofibular
joint.
In the knee the tibia forms one of the two articulations with the femur, often
referred to as the tibiofemoral components of the knee joint.[4][5]This is the
weightbearing part of the knee joint.[2] The tibiofibular joints are the articulations
between the tibia and fibula which allows very little movement. [citation
needed]

The proximal tibiofibular joint is a small plane joint. The joint is formed

between the undersurface of the lateral tibial condyle and the head of fibula.
The joint capsule is reinforced byanterior and posterior ligament of the head of the
fibula.[2] The distal tibiofibular joint (tibiofibular syndesmosis) is formed by the
rough, convex surface of the medial side of the distal end of the fibula, and a rough
concave surface on the lateral side of the tibia. [2] The part of the ankle joint known
as the talocrural joint, is a synovial hinge joint that connects the distal ends of the
tibia and fibula in the lower limb with the proximal end of the talus. The articulation
between the tibia and the talus bears more weight than between the smaller fibula
and the talus.[citation needed]
Development[edit]

Plan of ossification of the tibia. From three centers.

Epiphysial lines of tibia and fibula in a young adult. Anterior aspect.

The tibia is ossified from threecenters; a primary center for thediaphysis (shaft) and
a secondary center for eachepiphysis (extremity). Ossification begins in the center
of the body, about the seventh week of fetal life, and gradually extends toward the
extremities.
The center for the upper epiphysis appears before or shortly after birth at close to
34 weeks gestation; it is flattened in form, and has a thin tongue-shaped process in
front, which forms the tuberosity; that for the lower epiphysis appears in the second
year.
The lower epiphysis fuses with the tibial shaft at about the eighteenth, and the
upper one fuses about the twentieth year.
Two additional centers occasionally exist, one for the tongue-shaped process of the
upper epiphysis, which forms the tuberosity, and one for themedial malleolus.
Function[edit]
Muscle attachments[edit]
Muscle
Tensor fasciae latae muscle

Direct
ion
Inserti

Attachment[6]
Gerdy's tubercle

Muscle

Direct
ion

Attachment[6]

on
Quadriceps femoris muscle
Sartorius muscle
Gracilis muscle
Semitendinosus muscle

Inserti
on
Inserti
on
Inserti
on
Inserti
on

Horizontal head of

Inserti

thesemimembranosus muscle

on

Tuberosity of the tibia

Pes anserinus
Pes anserinus
Pes anserinus
Medial condyle

Inserti

Posterior side of the tibia over

on

the soleal line

Tibialis anterior muscle

Origin

Lateral side of the tibia

Extensor digitorum longus muscle

Origin

Lateral condyle

Soleus muscle

Origin

Flexor digitorum longus muscle

Origin

Popliteus muscle

Posterior side of the tibia under

the soleal line
Posterior side of the tibia under
the soleal line

Strength[edit]
The tibia has been modeled as taking an axial force during walking that is up to 4.7
bodyweight. Its bending moment in the sagittal plane in the late stance phase is up
to 71.6 bodyweight times millimetre.[7]
Clinical significance[edit]
Fracture[edit]
Fractures of the tibia can be divided into those that only involve the tibia;Bumper
fracture, Segond fracture, Gosselin fracture, Toddler's fracture, and those including
both the tibia and fibula; Trimalleolar fracture,Bimalleolar fracture, Pott's fracture.
Society and culture[edit]
In Judaism, the tibia, or shankbone, of a goat is used in the Passover Seder plate.
Other animals[edit]

The structure of the tibia in most other tetrapods is essentially similar to that in
humans. The tuberosity of the tibia, a crest to which the patellar ligament attaches
in mammals, is instead the point for the tendon of thequadriceps muscle in reptiles,
birds, and amphibians, which have nopatella.[8]
Additional images[edit]

Shape of right tibia

Longitudinal section of tibia showing interior

Right knee joint from the front, showing interior ligaments

Left knee joint from behind, showing interior ligaments

Left talocrural joint

Coronal section through right talocrural and talocalcaneal joints

See also[edit]
This article uses anatomical terminology; for an overview, seeAnatomical
terminology.

Shin splints

Squatting facets

References[edit]
This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's
Anatomy (1918)
1. ^ Jump up to:a

b c d

Drake, Richard L.; Vogl, A. Wayne; Mitchell, Adam

W. M. (2010).Grays Anatomy for Students (2nd ed.). pp. 558

560. ISBN 978-0-443-06952-9.[page needed]
2. ^ Jump up to:a

b c d

Drake, Richard L.; Vogl, A. Wayne; Mitchell, Adam

W. M. (2010).Grays Anatomy for Students (2nd ed.). pp. 584

588. ISBN 978-0-443-06952-9.
3. Jump up^ Nelson G, Kelly P, Peterson L, Janes J (1960). "Blood supply
of the human tibia". J Bone Joint Surg Am. 42A: 625
36. PMID 13854090.
4. Jump up^ Rytter S, Egund N, Jensen LK, Bonde JP
(2009). "Occupational kneeling and radiographic tibiofemoral and
patellofemoral osteoarthritis". J Occup Med Toxicol. 4 (1):
19. doi:10.1186/1745-6673-4-19. PMC 2726153 . PMID 19594940.

5. Jump up^ Gill TJ, Van de Velde SK, Wing DW, Oh LS, Hosseini A, Li G
(December 2009). "Tibiofemoral and patellofemoral kinematics after
reconstruction of an isolated posterior cruciate ligament injury: in vivo
analysis during lunge". Am J Sports Med. 37 (12): 2377
85.doi:10.1177/0363546509341829. PMC 3832057 . PMID 19726621.
6. Jump up^ Bojsen-Mller, Finn; Simonsen, Erik B.; Tranum-Jensen,
Jrgen (2001).Bevgeapparatets anatomi [Anatomy of the Locomotive
Apparatus] (in Danish) (12th ed.). pp. 364367. ISBN 978-87-628-03077.
7. Jump up^ Wehner, T; Claes, L; Simon, U (2009). "Internal loads in the
human tibia during gait". Clin Biomech. 24 (3): 299
302.doi:10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2008.12.007. PMID 19185959.
8. Jump up^ Romer, Alfred Sherwood; Parsons, Thomas S. (1977). The
Vertebrate Body. Philadelphia, PA: Holt-Saunders International.
p. 205. ISBN 0-03-910284-X.