Dorothy FarrarWadenmuskulatur
The following article is about the calf muscles . It explains what the calf muscles are, what the anatomy is like, what functions the individual muscles have and what diseases can occur.
Definition
Located on the back of the lower leg, the calf muscles are divided into a superficial and a deep layer. Altogether 5 (6) muscles belong to the whole group. The superficial location characterizes the relief of this region.
The muscle bellies of the outer muscles in the upper area are clearly impressive. The calf muscles then come into action when the heel is lifted off during weight bearing. Sports such as running, climbing or jumping depend on these muscles functioning properly.
Anatomy
The superficial muscle layer is made up of 2 muscles, which together are among the strongest muscles in the human body. The twin calf muscle or two-headed calf muscle (M. gastrocnemius) and the soleus muscle (M. soleus) are grouped together as the M. triceps surae and attach together with the Achilles tendon to the heel bone , sometimes accompanied by the M. plantaris.
The gastrocnemius is bi-articular and arises with a lateral and a medial head at the back of the femur . It runs over the knee joint and joins the Achilles tendon in the lower third of the lower leg with the M. soleus, which comes from the back of the tibia .
The deep calf muscles are made up of three muscles, the posterior tibialis, the flexor digitorum longus, and the flexor halucis longus. The 3 muscles mentioned are significantly weaker than the superficial ones. Its origins lie on the back of the two lower leg bones and the membrane stretched between them. From there they pass inside behind the axis of rotation of the upper ankle to the underside of the foot .
The M. tibialis posterior with its tendon reaches the area of the scaphoid and the base of the first metatarsal bone, the M. flexor digitorum longus goes to the end phalanx of the 2nd to 5th toe, while the M. flexor halucis longus at the end phalanx of the big one toes. All muscles are innervated by the tibial nerve.
Function
Both of the muscles that make up the triceps surae forcefully push the foot down into plantar flexion and lift the inner margin. Due to its course, the M. gastrocnemius also only has a weak function in bending the knee joint . However, its effectiveness on the foot movement is significantly influenced by the knee position.
When the knee is bent, it loses its effect almost entirely. The complete effect of the two muscles becomes noticeable when you lift yourself completely from the ground with your knees straight, when you run or jump. Both muscles are also required when overcoming heights, such as when climbing or mountaineering.
The main task of the other three, in addition to slightly lowering the foot, is fine-tuning the foot position when walking and bending the toes . All three bring the foot inwards (supination and adduction), the latter two also flex the toes.
They are relatively delicate muscles and can therefore only muster little force. Therefore, their primary function can be seen as positioning the plantar and tarsal bones for leverage of the large muscles on the one hand, and contributing to standing stability by forming a muscular component of the longitudinal arch of the foot on the other.
Diseases
Various injuries can affect all muscles of the calf, but superficial ones more often. Strains or muscle fiber tears are often the result of external violence, e.g. B. by a kick, or too much stress with simultaneous weight load as occurs when jumping up quickly. As a result, there is local pain in the affected area, which is intensified when the heel is lifted while standing. If the defect is larger, a palpable dent may appear. A so-called compartment syndrome can develop as a complication of the healing process. The bleeding caused by the injury fills spaces inside the calf and cannot be evacuated.
The encapsulated bruise exerts very painful pressure on the surrounding tissue and can lead to tissue death. If all efforts to mobilize the hematoma are unsuccessful, surgical evacuation must remedy the situation.
The Achilles tendon, the strongest tendon in the human body, often tears when subjected to high stress under dramatic circumstances. A loud bang can be heard and suddenly the leg can no longer bear weight. The rupture usually happens at the narrowest point of the tendon and can be favored by previous damage. The injury is treated either conservatively or surgically and entails a long follow-up treatment with relief of the tendon through immobilization and heel elevation.
Calf cramps occur when there are shifts in mineral balance, mostly at night. Compensating for the deficiency can quickly remedy the painful symptoms if no other previous illness is the cause.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.