The tibialis anterior muscle is the largest muscle located in the anterior (front) compartment of the leg. The blood supply to the tibialis anterior muscle comes primarily from the anterior tibial artery and its branches. In general, muscles of this compartment help to flex the foot in an upward direction at the ankle and also extend the toes.
The tibialis anterior muscle emerges from the upper lateral (outer) surface of the tibia, or shinbone, and from the interosseous membrane. The muscle inserts into the base of the first metatarsal bone in the foot, located just behind the big toe. It also inserts to the medial and inferior surfaces of the medial cuneiform tarsal.
The tibialis anterior muscle helps with dorsiflexion, which is the action of pulling the foot toward the shin. It also inverts (tilts inward) the foot at the subtalar and midtarsal joints and holds up the medial longitudinal arch of the foot.