Plantaris

Musculus plantaris

MuscularDeep musclesLegLeft and right

View left in 3D View right in 3D

What it is
Small muscle with a 7-10 cm belly arising from the lateral supracondylar line of the femur just above the lateral head of gastrocnemius, continuing as a very long thin tendon.
Function
Weakly assists knee flexion and plantarflexion; its many muscle spindles suggest a proprioceptive role.
Size
Belly 7-10 cm long; tendon about 30 cm long and 3 mm wide.
Clinical note
Absent in roughly one person in ten; because it is expendable its tendon is harvested as a free tendon graft.

Nearby muscular structures Biceps femoris (long head), Biceps femoris (short head), Gastrocnemius (lateral head), Gastrocnemius (medial head), Gracilis, Patellar tendon, Popliteus, Quadriceps tendon, Semimembranosus, Semitendinosus