Anatomy of Lower Leg Muscles- A&P Class Overview

Lower legs lie between the ankle and knee and play an integral part in supporting foot and upper leg functions. Consisting primarily of bones, muscles, and tendons as well as nerves and blood vessels for nerve communication purposes, the lower leg helps coordinate these processes efficiently to perform essential duties for both feet while maintaining optimal health conditions. If you wish to learn more about this, you should look for an anatomy and physiology course near me.

What Are Lower Legs?

A set of legs allows a person to walk and stand. The lower leg is part of the lower extremity. Lower legs play an integral part in our bodies’ performance connecting the knee, ankle, and other parts of the leg to one another as an integrated unit and acting together with them in performing a wide range of movements such as:

• Standing
• Walking
• Running
• Jumping in sequence
• Kneeling
• Crouching
• Lifting of toes

Anatomy of Lower Legs

Let’s understand lower leg muscles anatomy along with the nerves, bones, and tendons:

Bones in Lower Legs

The lower leg has two major bones – fibula and Tibia.

Tibia

The main bone that supports the weight of the lower leg is called the tibia; this bone lies on the medial (inner side).

The upper head connects with the patella and femur to form the knee joint; an inner ankle is formed when the base of the lower tibia connects with the tarsals. Accredited LPN programs help students with a deeper understanding of these bones.

Fibula

The lower leg’s fibula is an anatomical feature of smaller bones on either side of your leg.

Fibula bones do not form part of the knee joint; their bases, however, form part of the outer feet and connect directly with tibia bones via attachment points at their bases as well as attaching directly to the talus (another ankle bone) and calcaneus bones (both from the ankle).

Related:- Comparative Anatomy: Definition & Examples

Muscles in Lower Legs

Your lower legs contain several muscles and muscle fibers which work to move ankles and feet. The lower leg muscles anatomy is as follows:

Gastrocnemius

One of the major muscles in the lower leg, the gastrocnemius, gives rise to bulgy calves that appear round or bulging outwards.

The gastrocnemius muscle lies at your leg’s rear or posterior side. It connects with the femur, patella, and Tibia in its upper area.

Soleus

The soleus muscle lies just under the gastrocnemius muscle. Beginning at the upper portion of either tibia or fibula and attaching to the Achilles tendon in the heel area.

Plantaris

The plantaris muscle can be found in the lower leg, where its origin begins above the backside of the knee. The plantaris muscle has a thin tendon running along its length, which connects it with the Achilles’ tendon in the mid-leg and directly with it when present. If absent, it will not affect performance.

Tibialis Anterior

The tibialis anterior runs along the front of your leg and foot from kneecap to footpad before emerging near the metatarsal and cuneiform bones.

Tibialis Posterior

The tibialis posterior (TP) is an essential muscle in your leg that extends until connecting at your navicular bone or the cuneiform bone in your foot.

Peroneus

Peroneus or fibularis muscles, located on each leg outside the lower extremity. They consist of three muscles running along their length.

Peroneus longus and peroneus short muscles run along the outside of each leg and help evert the foot by tilting it towards the inside along where its toe lies, and everting its foot by everting it toward angling toward where its toe is on that line – with toes pointed forward and ankle extended during plantar flexion.

The peroneus Tertius muscle stretches from ankle to foot. It assists with dorsiflexion of the toes as well as everting feet.

Tendons in Lower Leg

Achilles Tendon

The Achilles tendon is an elastic band of tissue capable of withstanding immense force from your leg. Connecting your calf muscles to the calcaneus bone, it connects both ends.

Achilles tendon action facilitates basic leg and muscle movements like walking or running.

The tendinous part of the plantaris muscle runs along the back of your leg and connects to both Achilles tendons.

Nerves Throughout Your Lower Limb

The lower leg features two major nerves – the tibial and fibular- and two branches that combine into the sural sensory nerve.

Tibial Nerve

In this area, the tibial nerve serves as the main nerve. It connects deep and superficial calf muscles through branches that may branch off, such as:

• Gastrocnemius
• Popliteus
• Soleus
• Plantaris tendon

The sural nerve will eventually include a surface-level branch of this nerve.

Fibular Nerve

The fibular or deep peroneal (hamstring) nerve begins at the back of the knee. It runs along an extension to innervate part of the hamstring muscles and eventually to one of the gastrocnemius muscles on either side.

These nerves give rise to superficial and deep fibular nerve nerves, with one responsible for one side of the leg. At the same time, the front part is covered by a deep fibular. You should select the best LPN school near me, to learn, gain the right skill set and build a rewarding career as a nursing professional.

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Sural Nerve

The sural nerve comprises several branches, including the tibial nerve and the fibular nerve. Running from behind the knee down to the foot, these nerves provide sensation to the skin on either lateral foot.