The distal tibiofibular joint (tibiofibular
syndesmosis) is formed by the rough, convex surface of the
medial
Medial may refer to:
Mathematics
* Medial magma, a mathematical identity in algebra Geometry
* Medial axis, in geometry the set of all points having more than one closest point on an object's boundary
* Medial graph, another graph that re ...
side of the
distal
Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position pro ...
end of the
fibula, and a rough concave surface on the
lateral side of the
tibia.
Below, to the extent of about 4 mm, these surfaces are smooth and covered with
cartilage
Cartilage is a resilient and smooth type of connective tissue. In tetrapods, it covers and protects the ends of long bones at the joints as articular cartilage, and is a structural component of many body parts including the rib cage, the neck an ...
, which is continuous with that of the
ankle joint.
The
ligaments are:
*
Anterior ligament of the lateral malleolus
*
Posterior ligament of the lateral malleolus
*
Interosseous membrane of leg
The
inferior transverse ligament of the tibiofibular syndesmosis is included in older versions of ''
Gray's Anatomy
''Gray's Anatomy'' is a reference book of human anatomy written by Henry Gray, illustrated by Henry Vandyke Carter, and first published in London in 1858. It has gone through multiple revised editions and the current edition, the 42nd (Octob ...
'', but not in ''
Terminologia Anatomica''.
However, it still appears in some anatomy textbooks.
It should not be confused with the
superior tibiofibular joint, which is the only
synovial tibiofibular joint, and is sometimes simply called the "tibiofibular articulation".
References
Joints
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