Gastrocnemius muscle | |
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Details | |
Origin | superior to articular surfaces of lateral condyle of femur and medial condyle of femur |
Insertion | tendo calcaneus (achilles tendon) into mid-posterior calcaneus |
Artery | sural arteries |
Nerve | tibial nerve from the sciatic, specifically, nerve roots S1–S2 |
Actions | plantar flexes foot, flexes knee |
Antagonist | Tibialis anterior muscle |
Identifiers | |
TA | A04.7.02.044 |
FMA | 22541 |
Anatomical terms of muscle
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In humans, the gastrocnemius muscle (/ˌɡæstrɒkˈniːmiəs/ or /ˌɡæstrəkˈniːmiəs/; plural gastrocnemii; Latin, from Greek γαστήρ "stomach" and κνήμη (knēmē) "leg"; meaning "stomach of leg" (referring to the bulging shape of the calf) is a very powerful superficial bipennate muscle that is in the back part of the lower leg. It runs from its two heads just above the knee to the heel, a two joint muscle.
The gastrocnemius is located with the soleus in the posterior (back) compartment of the leg. The lateral head originates from the lateral condyle of the femur, while the medial head originates from the medial condyle of the femur. Its other end forms a common tendon with the soleus muscle; this tendon is known as the calcaneal tendon or Achilles Tendon and inserts onto the posterior surface of the calcaneus, or heel bone.