Gerdy's tubercle is a lateral

tubercle In anatomy, a tubercle (literally 'small tuber', Latin for 'lump') is any round nodule, small eminence, or warty outgrowth found on external or internal organs of a plant or an animal. In plants A tubercle is generally a wart-like projection ...

of the

tibia The tibia (; ), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outside of the tibia); it connects ...

, located where the

iliotibial tract The iliotibial tract or iliotibial band (ITB; also known as Maissiat's band or the IT band) is a longitudinal fibrous reinforcement of the fascia lata. The action of the muscles associated with the ITB (tensor fasciae latae and some fibers of glu ...

inserts. It was named after French surgeon

Pierre Nicolas Gerdy Pierre Nicolas Gerdy (1 May 1797 – 18 March 1856) was a French physician who was a native of Loches-sur-Ource. He was a professor with the Faculty of Medicine in Paris, and worked with renowned surgeons such as Jacques Lisfranc de St. Martin ...

(1797–1856). Gerdy's tubercle is a smooth facet on the lateral aspect of the upper part of the tibia, just below the

knee joint In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...

and adjacent to the proximal tibio-fibular joint, where the iliotibial tract runs down the outside part of the

thigh In human anatomy, the thigh is the area between the hip (pelvis) and the knee. Anatomically, it is part of the lower limb. The single bone in the thigh is called the femur. This bone is very thick and strong (due to the high proportion of bone ...

. It is the point of insertion for the

Iliotibial band The iliotibial tract or iliotibial band (ITB; also known as Maissiat's band or the IT band) is a longitudinal fibrous reinforcement of the fascia lata. The action of the muscles associated with the ITB (tensor fasciae latae and some fibers of glu ...

of the lateral thigh. It is used as a site for the insertion of a periosteal needle by which intramedullary fluids may be infused in neonates. It can be fractured along with the

tibial tuberosity The tuberosity of the tibia or tibial tuberosity or tibial tubercle is an elevation on the proximal, anterior aspect of the tibia, just below where the anterior surfaces of the lateral and medial tibial condyles end. Structure The tuberosity o ...

. It has been used as a source for bone grafts. The

peroneal nerve The common fibular nerve (also known as the common peroneal nerve, external popliteal nerve, or lateral popliteal nerve) is a nerve in the lower leg that provides sensation over the posterolateral part of the leg and the knee joint. It divides at ...

runs near to it.

References

Skeletal system Tibia {{musculoskeletal-stub