Lateral Head of Gastrocnemius Muscle

The structure indicated is the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle.

The gastrocnemius muscle is the most superficial muscle of the posterior compartment of the leg. The muscles in the posterior compartment of the leg are separated into a superficial group and a deep group.

The superficial group consists of the following leg muscles:

• Gastrocnemius
• Plantaris
• Soleus

The deep group consists of the following leg muscles:

• Popliteus
• Flexor hallucis longus
• Flexor digitorum longus
• Tibialis posterior

The gastrocnemius is one of the largest muscles in the leg and has two heads which form its origin, the medial head and the lateral head.

The lateral head of the gastrocnemius originates on the lateral femoral condyle.

Learn more about the anatomy of the leg muscles in this video tutorial.

Interact with the gastrocnemius muscle with our 3D anatomy atlas.