Anat Biol Anthropol.  2020 Sep;33(3):143-147. 10.11637/aba.2020.33.3.143.

Complex Variations of Plantaris Muscle Origin, Course and Insertion: A Cadaveric Case Report

• Park KR
• Cho J
• Choi YJ
• Kim D
• Kwon HW
• Lee M
• Yoon KH
• Park J

• KMID: 2507194
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.11637/aba.2020.33.3.143

Abstract

Abstract : During routine educational dissection, we found complex variations of plantaris muscle, including origin, course of muscle belly, and tendon insertion, from the 89-years-old Korean male leg. First, we identified a variation in which plantaris muscle originates from the lateral condyle of the femur and the popliteal surface above the knee joint capsule. Second, variation was observed in the course of the muscle belly passing between the inside of the lateral condyle and the tibial nerve. Finally, the tendon was very short and showed an insertion variation that fused to anterior surface of the muscle fascia at the point where the lateral head and medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle merged. These complex variations of plantaris muscle have not been previously reported in our literatures review and will be clinically useful to surgeons for the surgical approach to harvest of tendon as well as for presence or absence of tendon.

Keyword

Plantaris muscle; Plantaris tendon; Variation; Korean