A purely tendinous accessory slip of the fibularis brevis muscle: case report and morphological review

Goral K., Ertaş A., Yıldız B., İbiş E. C.

Anatomy, cilt.20, sa.2, ss.160-163, 2026 (Hakemli Dergi)

Özet

The fibularis (peroneus) brevis muscle is a primary dynamic stabilizer of the lateral ankle, and although variations of its distal tendon are clinically relevant, entirely tendinous accessory slips extending beyond the fifth metatarsal base are exceptionally rare. During a routine anatomical dissection of the right lower extremity of a 67-year-old male cadaver, a bifurcated variant of the fibularis brevis tendon was encountered, and its morphological features, trajectory and insertion points were documented in detail. Proximal to its conventional insertion, the tendon divided into two morphologically distinct slips: the primary slip inserted onto its classic footprint at the base of the fifth metatarsal, whereas the accessory slip extended distally along the lateral border of the foot and terminated at the base of the proximal phalanx of the fifth digit as a purely tendinous structure without an associated muscle belly. Awareness of such exclusively tendinous variants is important for diagnostic accuracy and for minimizing iatrogenic injury during reconstructive and surgical interventions involving the lateral leg and dorsum of the foot.