Muscle
Plantaris
Vestigial calf muscle
High-yield
Long thin tendon ("freshman's nerve"); weak plantarflexor; often absent. Tibial nerve.
Overview
A small muscle with a long slender tendon that weakly assists plantarflexion and knee flexion; often mistaken for a nerve.
Reference facts
- Origin
Lateral supracondylar line of the femur
- Insertion
Calcaneus (via a long thin tendon, medial to the Achilles)
- Action
Weakly assists plantarflexion of the ankle and flexion of the knee
- Innervation
Tibial nerve (S1, S2)
- Blood supply
Sural arteries