The soleal line

The soleal line in 167 left and 163 right tibiae has been studied. The line often does not follow the textbook description. It commences well below the fibular facet and ends well down nearer the middle of the bone on the medial border. It generally shows mixed characters of a line, a wide line, a ridge, or a groove. The line is frequently absent in the upper third. In the middle third, it is seen as a wide or as a ridge varying from 1 to 2 mm in height. In the lower third the line presents itself as a ridge. In the middle and lower thirds, the line is often seen as a depression varying from 1 to 2 mm in depth. The line shows a left-sided dominance.