Leg skin

Cutis membri inferioris

Integumentary (skin)SkinLegLeft and right

View left in 3D View right in 3D

What it is

Skin of the thigh, knee and leg: the tapering thigh with the quadriceps and the vastus medialis "teardrop", the kneecap, the calf bulge of gastrocnemius at the back, the subcutaneous shin and the ankle malleoli.

Function

Protective and sensory covering of the lower limb; the calf muscle pump beneath it drives venous blood back up against gravity.

Size

Hip to ankle ~85 cm; each lower limb ≈ 18 % of body surface (rule of nines)

Clinical note

The skin over the shin lies directly on the tibia with little padding, so shin wounds heal slowly; venous leg ulcers occur typically just above the medial malleolus.