What is the Extensor Hallucis Longus?
The extensor hallucis longus is a long, thin muscle in your lower leg that mainly helps lift your big toe. It starts on the front part of your shin bone and the nearby membrane between the shin and the smaller lower leg bone, then runs down the front of your ankle and attaches to the top of the big toe. When it contracts, it extends the big toe upward, and it also assists with pulling your foot upward at the ankle.