Muscle
Soleus
Calf "peripheral heart"
High-yield
Postural plantarflexor (crosses only the ankle); "soleal pump" aids venous return. Tibial nerve.
Overview
A broad flat muscle deep to gastrocnemius that plantarflexes the ankle and, as a postural muscle, pumps venous blood back from the leg.
Reference facts
- Origin
Posterior head/neck of the fibula and soleal line of the tibia
- Insertion
Calcaneus via the calcaneal (Achilles) tendon
- Action
Plantarflexes the ankle; stabilises the leg over the foot in standing
- Innervation
Tibial nerve (S1, S2)
- Blood supply
Posterior tibial / fibular arteries