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.
