plantaris
Vestigial leg muscle
Plantaris refers to a small, slender muscle in the back of the lower leg, running from the knee to the heel alongside the larger calf muscles.
It has a remarkably long tendon and is sometimes absent in humans—a vestigial structure with little functional importance.
Surgeons occasionally harvest it for tendon grafts elsewhere in the body.
Muscle-to-bone connector
- gastrocnemiusPrimary calf muscle
- soleusLower leg flexor
- calfJuvenile cow or leg part
- insertionPlacing something within
origin · vestigial · rupture · popliteal · fascia · posterior · compartment · leg
Decreasing a joint angle
- toeFoot's small digit
- ankleLeg-foot joint
- proprioceptionBody's spatial self-awareness
- contractionReduction in size
movement · gait · walking · running · jumping · propulsion · stance · kinetics
tendon
Muscle-to-bone connector
- gastrocnemiusPrimary calf muscle
- soleusLower leg flexor
- calfJuvenile cow or leg part
insertion · origin · vestigial · rupture · popliteal · fascia · posterior · compartment · leg · accessory
flexion
Decreasing a joint angle
- toeFoot's small digit
- ankleLeg-foot joint
- proprioceptionBody's spatial self-awareness
contraction · movement · gait · walking · running · jumping · propulsion · stance · kinetics · biomechanics
rupture
Violent tearing apart
pain · swelling · diagnosis · ultrasound · MRI · imaging · surgery · graft · reconstruction · harvest
- plantar wartsHPV-caused foot lesions
- plantar fasciitisInflamed sole tissue
- plantar fasciaFoot's arch-supporting tissue