open access

Vol 80, No 3 (2021)
Case report
Submitted: 2020-08-06
Accepted: 2020-08-18
Published online: 2020-08-22
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A bifurcated plantaris muscle: another confirmation of its high morphological variability? Another type of plantaris muscle

A. Smędra1, Ł. Olewnik2, P. Łabętowicz12, D. Danowska-Klonowska3, M. Polguj4, J. Berent1
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Pubmed: 32844386
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Folia Morphol 2021;80(3):739-744.
Affiliations
  1. Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Poland
  2. Department of Anatomical Dissection and Donation, Medical University of Lodz, Poland
  3. Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical University of Lodz, Poland
  4. Department of Normal and Clinical Anatomy, Medical University of Lodz, Poland

open access

Vol 80, No 3 (2021)
CASE REPORTS
Submitted: 2020-08-06
Accepted: 2020-08-18
Published online: 2020-08-22

Abstract

The plantaris muscle usually begins with a short, narrow belly in the popliteal fossa at the lateral supracondylar line of the femur and the knee joint capsule. Then it forms a long and slender tendon and usually inserts into the calcaneal tuberosity on the medial side of Achilles tendon. Nevertheless, many anatomical variations of distal attachment have been described. Cases of atypical proximal origin are reported less frequently. In this paper, we have presented a case of a two headed plantaris muscle. First head attached to the condyle of the femoral bone, medially and inferiorly to the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle. The second one originated from the popliteal surface of the femur, just above the intercondylar fossa. According to present literature, no such case with atypical proximal origin was presented. Such information has potentially clinical significance during the surgical procedures performed in the area of the popliteal fossa.

Abstract

The plantaris muscle usually begins with a short, narrow belly in the popliteal fossa at the lateral supracondylar line of the femur and the knee joint capsule. Then it forms a long and slender tendon and usually inserts into the calcaneal tuberosity on the medial side of Achilles tendon. Nevertheless, many anatomical variations of distal attachment have been described. Cases of atypical proximal origin are reported less frequently. In this paper, we have presented a case of a two headed plantaris muscle. First head attached to the condyle of the femoral bone, medially and inferiorly to the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle. The second one originated from the popliteal surface of the femur, just above the intercondylar fossa. According to present literature, no such case with atypical proximal origin was presented. Such information has potentially clinical significance during the surgical procedures performed in the area of the popliteal fossa.

Get Citation

Keywords

anatomical variations, plantaris muscle, plantaris tendon, rare variant

About this article
Title

A bifurcated plantaris muscle: another confirmation of its high morphological variability? Another type of plantaris muscle

Journal

Folia Morphologica

Issue

Vol 80, No 3 (2021)

Article type

Case report

Pages

739-744

Published online

2020-08-22

Page views

7063

Article views/downloads

1116

DOI

10.5603/FM.a2020.0101

Pubmed

32844386

Bibliographic record

Folia Morphol 2021;80(3):739-744.

Keywords

anatomical variations
plantaris muscle
plantaris tendon
rare variant

Authors

A. Smędra
Ł. Olewnik
P. Łabętowicz
D. Danowska-Klonowska
M. Polguj
J. Berent

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