284 



MUSCLES OF THE LOWER LIMB. 



the tendon of the semimembranosus muscle. A sesamoid fibro-cartilage 

 is sometimes met with over the outer condyle of the femur, and occasionally 

 over the inner : it is rarely ossified. 



The heads of the gastrocnemius muscle form the inferior boundaries of the 

 popliteal space, and are placed between the hamstring muscles : the peroneal nerve is 

 lodged between the external head and the biceps. The gastrocnemius conceals the 



popliteus muscle, with the popliteal 



p- 216 vessels and internal popliteal nerve 



lying on its surface; the plantaris 

 and soleus are also covered by it. 

 The short saphenous vein is placed 

 on its surface, in the interval be- 

 tween its two parts. 



Fig. 216. SUPERFICIAL MUSCLES OP 



THE LKQ, SEEN FROM THE INNER 



SIDE (after Bourgery). % 



1, part of the vastus internus ; 2, 

 sartorius ; 2', its flat tendon, spread- 

 ing on the inner upper part of the 

 tibia; 3, gracilis ; 4, semitendinosus ; 

 4', its insertion ; and between 2' and 

 4', that of the gracilis ; 5, semimem- 

 branosus ; 6, inner head of the gastro- 

 cnemius ; 7, soleus ; 8, 8', placed 

 upon the tendo Achillis, point to the 

 small tendon of the plautaris descend- 

 ing on the inner side ; 9, small part 

 of the tendon of the tibialis posticus ; 

 10, flexor communis digitorum ; 11, 

 points to a portion of the flexor longus 

 pollicis, sunk in shadow; 12, a nar- 

 row part of the tibialis anticus ; 12', 

 on the internal cuneiform bone, above 

 the divided tendon of insertion of the 

 tibialis anticus ; 13, abductor pollicis ; 

 there are also shown in this part of the 

 figure the connection of the abductor 

 posteriorly with the internal annular 

 ligament and os calcis, and the manner 

 in which the internal annular liga- 

 ment forms a retinaculum for the 

 tendons of the muscles of the leg as 

 they descend. 



The soleus muscle arises ex- 

 ternally from the posterior part 

 of the head of the fibula, and 

 from the surface beneath it for 

 a third of the length of the 

 bone; internally from the ob- 

 lique line which gives insertion 

 to the popliteus, and from the 

 posterior edge of the tibia about 

 three inches below that line; 

 also in the space intermediate between the tibia and fibula, from a ten- 

 dinous band extended from one bone to the other over the posterior tibial 

 vessels and nerve. Inferiorly, the muscular fibres descend upon the tendo 



