Leg muscles
The leg muscles are divided into 3 compartments by the intermuscular septa and interosseous membrane- Anterior, Lateral and Posterior. The diagram below shows the muscles in each compartment.
Chart showing organisation of the muscle compartments of the leg
Muscle compartments of leg
Interesting fact: No artery is present in the lateral compartment of the leg. (The muscles get their blood supply from the perforating branches of the anterior tibial and fibular artery)
Clinical note: Compartment syndrome– An elevation in the interstitial pressure in a closed osseofibrous compartment that results in microvascular compromise. Due to the unyielding stocking like aspect of the fascia large amounts of bleeding/swelling can cause large increases in the internal pressure of the compartment due to the minimal ability of the compartments to deform with the pressure.
Nerve supply of leg muscles
Author contributions
By Deepti Nayak, Orthopaedics, 2022