Abstract Background Tibialis anterior (TA) muscle is the largest dorsiflexor of the ankle joint and plays an important role during gait movement. However, descriptions of the TA attachment site are inconsistent even among major anatomy textbooks, and its origin, especially the attachment site for the tibia, has not been reported in detail. This study is the first experimental attempt to investigate the origin of the TA in detail, paying particular attention to the relationship with the shape of the tibia, including sex differences. Methods Forty legs (20 males, 20 females) from twenty Japanese cadavers were examined. Gross anatomical examination of the TA's attachment site to the tibia and the tibia's shape was performed. Results The location of the distal end of the TA's attachment on tibia was significantly more distal in males than in females (p