Muscles of the Leg: Flexor Muscles

Flexor muscles of right leg (posterior

aspect).

Flexor muscles of right leg (posterior

aspect). Both heads of the gastrocnemius

muscle have been cut and reflected.

Flexor muscles of the leg

(right side).

1 Semitendinosus muscle

2 Semimembranosus muscle

3 Sartorius muscle

4 Tendon of gracilis muscle

5 Medial head of gastrocnemius muscle

6 Common tendon of gracilis,

sartorius, and semitendinosus muscles

7 Calcaneal or Achilles tendon

8 Medial malleolus

9 Calcaneal tuberosity

10 Tibial nerve

11 Biceps femoris muscle

12 Plantaris muscle

13 Common peroneal nerve

14 Lateral head of gastrocnemius muscle

15 Soleus muscle

16 Peroneus longus and brevis muscles

17 Lateral malleolus

18 Popliteal fossa

19 Tibial nerve and posterior tibial

artery

20 Popliteus muscle

21 Tendinous arch of soleus muscle

22 Femur

23 Fibula

24 Tibia

458 Muscles of the Leg and Foot

Muscles of right leg and foot (medial aspect).

Popliteal region with plantaris and

soleus muscles, right side (dorsal

aspect). Notice the insertion of the

tendon of semimembranosus muscle.

1 Vastus medialis muscle

2 Patella

3 Patellar ligament

4 Tibial tuberosity

5 Tibia

6 Tendons of deep flexor muscles

(from anterior to posterior: 1. tibialis

posterior; 2. flexor digitorum longus;

3. flexor hallucis longus muscles)

7 Flexor retinaculum

8 Tendon of tibialis anterior muscle

9 Tendon of extensor hallucis longus muscle

10 Abductor hallucis muscle

11 Semimembranosus muscle

12 Sartorius muscle

13 Tendon of gracilis muscle

14 Tendon of semitendinosus muscle

15 Common tendon of gracilis,

semitendinosus, and sartorius muscles

16 Medial head of gastrocnemius muscle

17 Soleus muscle

18 Calcaneal or Achilles tendon

19 Calcaneus muscle

20 Tendon of flexor hallucis longus muscle

21 Quadriceps femoris muscle (divided)

22 Tendon of adductor magnus muscle (divided)

23 Medial condyle of femur

24 Popliteal artery and vein, tibial nerve

25 Tibia

26 Femur

27 Lateral epicondyle of femur

28 Oblique popliteal ligament

29 Lateral (fibular) collateral ligament

30 Plantaris muscle

31 Tendon of biceps femoris muscle (divided)

32 Tendinous arch of soleus muscle

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Muscles of the Leg and Foot 459

Muscles of right leg and foot (lateral aspect). Axial section of the right leg cranially of the ankle joint

(MRI scan; from Heuck et al., MRT-Atlas, 2009).

Axial section of the right leg distally of the knee joint

(MRI scan; from Heuck et al., MRT-Atlas, 2009).

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1 Common peroneal nerve

2 Head of fibula

3 Lateral head of gastrocnemius muscle

4 Soleus muscle

5 Peroneus longus muscle

6 Peroneus brevis muscle

7 Calcaneal or Achilles tendon

8 Lateral malleolus muscle

9 Tendon of peroneus longus muscle

10 Extensor digitorum brevis muscle

11 Tendon of peroneus brevis muscle

12 Patella

13 Patellar ligament

14 Tuberosity of tibia

15 Tibialis anterior muscle

16 Extensor digitorum longus muscle

17 Superior extensor retinaculum

18 Inferior extensor retinaculum

19 Tendon of extensor hallucis longus

muscle

20 Tendons of extensor digitorum

longus muscle

21 Great saphenous vein

22 Medial head of gastrocnemius muscle

23 Tibia

24 Popliteus muscle

25 Tibial nerve, popliteal artery, and veins

26 Flexor hallucis longus muscle

460 Muscles of the Leg and Foot: Deep Flexor Muscles

1 Medial condyle of femur

2 Popliteus muscle

3 Flexor digitorum longus muscle

4 Crossing of tendons in leg

5 Tendon of tibialis posterior muscle

6 Tendon of flexor digitorum longus muscle

7 Medial malleolus

8 Lateral condyle of femur

9 Head of fibula

10 Tibialis posterior muscle

11 Flexor hallucis longus muscle

12 Peroneus longus muscle

13 Peroneus brevis muscle

14 Tendon of flexor hallucis longus muscle

15 Calcaneal tendon (divided)

16 Lateral malleolus

Deep flexor muscles of right leg and foot

(posterior aspect).

Course of deep flexor muscles of leg (schematic drawing).

1 Popliteus muscle (blue)

2 Flexor digitorum longus muscle (blue)

3 Tibialis posterior muscle (red)

4 Crossing of tendons in leg

5 Flexor hallucis longus muscle (blue)

6 Crossing of tendons in sole

461

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Muscles of the Leg and Foot: Deep Flexor Muscles

1 Medial condyle of femur

2 Tibia

3 Flexor digitorum longus muscle

4 Crossing of tendons in leg

5 Tendon of tibialis posterior muscle

6 Abductor hallucis muscle

7 Tendon of flexor hallucis longus

muscle

8 Lateral condyle of femur

9 Head of fibula

10 Tibialis posterior muscle

11 Tendon of flexor digitorum longus

muscle

12 Flexor retinaculum

13 Calcaneal tendon

14 Calcaneal tuberosity

15 Crossing of tendons in sole

16 Quadratus plantae muscle

17 Tendons of flexor digitorum

longus muscle

18 Tendon of tibialis anterior muscle

19 Area of insertion of tibialis

posterior muscle

20 Lumbrical muscles

21 Flexor hallucis longus muscle

22 Tibialis anterior muscle

23 Extensor hallucis longus muscle

24 Lateral malleolus of fibula

25 Trochlea of talus

Deep flexor muscles of right leg and foot

(posterior oblique medial aspect). Flexor digitorum

brevis and flexor hallucis longus muscles have been

removed.

Sole of foot with tendons of long flexor muscles (oblique medial and

inferior aspect).

Coronal section of the leg

(MRI scan; from Heuck et al.,

MRT-Atlas, 2009).

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462 Muscles of the Leg and Foot: Extensor Muscles

Extensor muscles of right leg and foot

(oblique antero-lateral aspect).

Extensor muscles of right leg and foot (anterior

aspect). Part of the tibialis anterior muscle has been

removed.

1 Patella

2 Patellar ligament

3 Anterior margin of tibia

4 Tibialis anterior muscle

5 Extensor digitorum longus muscle

6 Superior extensor retinaculum

7 Inferior extensor retinaculum

8 Tendon of peroneus tertius muscle

9 Extensor digitorum brevis muscle

10 Tendons of extensor digitorum

longus muscle

11 Gastrocnemius muscle

12 Extensor hallucis longus muscle

13 Medial malleolus

14 Tendon of tibialis anterior muscle

15 Extensor hallucis brevis muscle

16 Tendon of extensor hallucis

longus muscle

17 Common tendon of gracilis,

semitendinosus, and sartorius muscles

18 Tibia

Muscles of the Foot 463

Extensor muscles of the

leg (right side).

Muscles of sole of foot, first layer (from below). The

plantar aponeurosis and the fasciae of the superficial

muscles have been removed.

Sole of foot, plantar

aponeurosis (from below).

Course of abductor and adductor

muscles of foot (schematic drawing).

Red arrows = abduction.

1 Longitudinal bands of plantar aponeurosis Black arrows = adduction.

2 Plantar aponeurosis

3 Position of tuberosity of fifth metatarsal bone

4 Muscles of fifth toe with fascia

5 Calcaneal tuberosity

6 Muscles of great toe with fascia

7 Tendons of flexor digitorum longus muscle

8 Tendons of flexor digitorum brevis muscle

9 Lumbrical muscle

10 Flexor digiti minimi brevis muscle

11 Flexor digitorum brevis muscle

12 Tendon of peroneus longus muscle

13 Abductor digiti minimi muscle

14 Tendon of flexor hallucis longus muscle

15 Flexor hallucis brevis muscle

16 Abductor hallucis muscle

17 Plantar aponeurosis (cut)

18 Peroneus longus muscle

19 Peroneus brevis muscle

20 Tibialis anterior muscle

21 Extensor hallucis longus muscle

22 Extensor digitorum longus muscle

1 Plantar interossei muscles (black)

2 Abductor digiti minimi muscle (red)

3 Dorsal interosseous muscles (red)

4 Transverse head of adductor

muscle (black)

5 Oblique head of adductor

muscle (black)

6 Abductor hallucis muscle (red)

464 Muscles of the Foot

Muscles of sole of foot, second layer (from below). The flexor

digitorum brevis muscle has been divided.

Muscles of sole of foot, second layer (from below).

The tendons of the flexor muscles and the crossing of

tendons are displayed. The flexor digitorum brevis muscle

has been divided and reflected.

1 Tendons of flexor digitorum brevis

muscle

2 Tendons of flexor digitorum longus

muscle

3 Lumbrical muscles

4 Interossei muscles

5 Flexor digiti minimi brevis muscle

6 Abductor digiti minimi muscle

7 Quadratus plantae muscle

8 Calcaneal tuberosity

9 Tendon of flexor hallucis longus muscle

10 Flexor hallucis brevis muscle

11 Abductor hallucis muscle

12 Flexor digitorum brevis muscle (divided)

13 Tuberosity of fifth metatarsal bone

14 Tendon of peroneus longus muscle

15 Transverse head of adductor hallucis

muscle

16 Crossing of tendons in sole of foot

17 Medial malleolus

18 Plantar aponeurosis (divided)

465

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