What is the Extensor Digitorum Longus?
The extensor digitorum longus is a long, thin muscle on the front and outer side of your lower leg. It starts high on the shin and upper part of the fibula, then runs down toward the ankle, crosses the top of the foot, and splits into tendons that attach to four toes. Its main jobs are to lift your toes up (toe extension) and to pull your foot upward toward your shin (ankle dorsiflexion). It also helps turn the sole of your foot slightly outward (a small amount of eversion), which matters for balance and stable foot placement when you walk, run, jump, and change direction.