How to Identify the Popliteus
The popliteus is a muscle in the leg that unlocks the knee to begin flexing it. This muscle also assists the medial hamstring in internally rotating the lower leg at the knee. The popliteus is commonly injured in runners who pronate their foot or run downhill excessively. The following steps will you identify the popliteus muscle.
Instructions
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1
Read up on Latin roots to know that "popliteus" means "hollow of the knee." This muscle is attached to the "hollow of the knee."
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2
Examine the popliteus to see that it laterally rotates the femur on the tibia and unlocks the knee when the insertion is fixed. It medially rotates the tibia on the femur and unlocks the knee when the origin is fixed.
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3
Observe how the popliteus originates from the middle facet of the lateral femoral condyle, arcuate popliteal ligament, lateral meniscus and the knee joint capsule. A peroneotibialis is a common variation that originates from the inner side of the fibula's head in 14 percent of the population.
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4
Look at the insertion of the popliteus into the posterior tibial surface above the soleal line and under the tibial condyles. A popliteus minor also inserts into the posterior ligament of the knee joint in rare cases.
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5
Research the nervous system to know that the nerve for the popliteus is the tibial nerve from the fifth lumbar and first sacral nerves.
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Study the circulatory system to know that the blood supply for the popliteus is the sural branches of the popliteal artery.
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