The fibula is located lateral to the tibia. It is a long bone, and its major features include the fibular head and the lateral malleolus. The fibula is connected to the tibia by the interosseous membrane of the leg, which limits relative movement between the two bones. The fibula is the smaller of the two bones within the shank.
The fibula is part of the ankle, a major body joint. The distal ends of the tibia and fibula are connected by strong tibiofibular ligaments that together form the concavity (ankle mortise) of the proximal part of the ankle joint. The talus fits into the mortise and primarily allows sagittal plane rotation and some translation in the anterior-posterior direction. The ankle is a hinge joint limiting movement outside the sagittal plane. Other joints contribute to the more complex movements of the foot.
