The distal tibiofibular joint (tibiofibular syndesmosis) is formed by the rough, convex surface of the medial 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 The fibula or calf bone is a leg bone on the lateral side of the tibia, to which it is connected above and below. It is the smaller of the two bones and, in proportion to its length, the most slender of all the long bones. Its upper extremity ...

, and a rough concave surface on the lateral side 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 conn ...

. 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 ...

, which is continuous with that of the ankle joint. The

ligaments A ligament is the fibrous connective tissue that connects bones to other bones. It is also known as ''articular ligament'', ''articular larua'', ''fibrous ligament'', or ''true ligament''. Other ligaments in the body include the: * Peritoneal ...

are: * Anterior ligament of the lateral malleolus *

Posterior ligament of the lateral malleolus The posterior ligament of the lateral malleolus (posterior tibiofibular ligament, posterior inferior ligament) is smaller than the anterior ligament of the lateral malleolus and is disposed in a similar manner on the posterior surface of the syndes ...

* Interosseous membrane of leg The

inferior transverse ligament of the tibiofibular syndesmosis The inferior transverse ligament of the tibiofibular syndesmosis is a connective tissue structure in the lower leg that lies in front of the posterior ligament. It is a strong, thick band, of yellowish fibers which passes transversely across the ...

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 (Octo ...

'', but not in ''

Terminologia Anatomica ''Terminologia Anatomica'' is the international standard for human anatomical terminology. It is developed by the Federative International Programme on Anatomical Terminology, a program of the International Federation of Associations of Anatomi ...

''. 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 {{musculoskeletal-stub