Peroneus tertius revisited: The morphological variability of the bifurcated peroneus tertius insertion - An...

The peroneus tertius muscle (PT) is one of the extensor muscles of the lower leg, often described as a variable separation from the extensor digitorum longus muscle (EDL). According to literature it has six different types of insertion, one of them (Olewnik Type IV) having two tendons inserting to the fifth metatarsal bone (FMTB). Morphometric data about this type of insertion is sparse, especially the relation between the two tendons, albeit the PT is suspected to contribute to stress fractures of the FMTB. Therefore, we examined this type of insertion to give detailed information on the tendons, the insertion points and the respective relations.

We examined 27 lower extremities of embalmed human bodies (12 paired, 15 single sided; 12 right and 15 left) with a distinguishable PT with two tendons inserting to the FMTB (Olewnik IV). The specimens were obtained of an undergrad dissection program, which in turn obtained them from a body donation program. After dissection of the PT and photo documentation in situ, resection and measurement of morphological properties of the tendons were performed with the PT attached to the fifth metatarsal bone.

Results of the respective measurements yielded a wide range of variation, especially in the insertion point of the anterior tendon on the fifth metatarsal and the relation between the two tendons, but with no significant difference between sides or sex, except for the length of the posterior tendon between sex. The distance between the base of the FMTB and posterior tendon varies from 0 to 9 mm, with one outlier at 24 mm (mean = 3.9 ± 4.8 mm), the distance between the insertions from 0 to 15 mm (mean = 4.7 ± 4.7 mm), resulting in how far of the FMTB the anterior tendon reaches varying from 17 to 60 mm (mean = 39.6 ± 11.5 mm) or 22-98% (mean = 64 ± 19%).

Our findings give a detailed overview of the morphological features the PTT can have, when attached with two tendons to the FMTB. Especially the varying relationship between those two insertions and varying point of the anterior insertion are of interest, as they might support its complex role in the occurrence of fractures of the fifth metatarsal by providing different amounts of torsional stress and its tendons can be used as tendon-grafts.