The muscles of the leg and foot

Triceps surae, tibialis anterior, tibialis posterior, fibulars and long toe muscles: plantarflexion, dorsiflexion, inversion and eversion.

The outline, topic by topic

Each topic is weighted the way the exam weighs it.

Triceps surae: what is it?
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The two heads of gastrocnemius and the soleus, joined in the calcaneal tendon.
It is the push-off muscle.
To stretch the soleus rather than the gastrocnemius, how to stand?
- Heel down, knee bent
- Heel down, knee straight
- On tiptoe
- Lying with the leg raised
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Heel down, knee bent
Knee bent, the gastrocnemius slackens and the soleus stays stretched.
Calcaneal tendon: what is it?
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The body's thickest tendon, from the triceps surae to the calcaneus.
It is also called the Achilles tendon.
Why do the fibular muscles protect against the most common ankle sprain?
- They pull the foot into inversion, which slackens the lateral ligaments
- They resist inversion, the movement that stretches the lateral ligaments
- They tighten the calcaneal tendon, which locks the ankle
- They run in front of the medial malleolus and reinforce the deltoid ligament
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They resist inversion, the movement that stretches the lateral ligaments
Hence proprioception training that teaches them to react fast.