Symptoms. In humans and certain animals, the gastrocnemius muscle is the long, thick muscle that runs down the back of the leg and forms a characteristic bulge at the calf. Tenderness will be felt at the origin of the calf muscle, just behind the knee.

Muscle Anatomy of the Gastrocnemius. Origin: Supracondylar fossa on the caudal femur, attached to the lateral head of the gastrocnemius Insertion : Calcaneus , the eminences on the sides of the proximal extremity of the middle phalanx , and the distal extremity of the proximal phalanx behind the collateral ligament of … The 2 Calf Muscles and Their Main Function.

Lateral head: The lateral condyle and the adjoining part of the femur. The soleus muscle forms the Achilles tendon when it inserts into the gastrocnemius aponeurosis.

The calf muscles consist of two primary muscles...the Gastrocnemius and the Soleus.. On the front side of the lower leg is the Tibialis Anterior. The gastrocnemius muscle is a muscle located on the back portion of the lower leg, being one of the two major muscles that make up the calf. The soleus and gastrocnemius work in tandem to carry out the function of plantar flexion. The Gastrocnemius is the calf muscle that is visible from the outside of the body.

It is an overuse injury which is more common in runners and sprinters. The calf contains two main muscle – The soleus muscle and the gastrocnemius muscle. Anatomy Chart courtesy of FCIT.

Origin: Medial head: Posterior part of the medial condyle and the adjoining part of the femur.

Gastrocnemius tendonitis is inflammation of the gastrocnemius tendon. The calf muscle, on the back of the lower leg, is actually made up of two muscles: The gastrocnemius is the larger calf muscle, forming the bulge visible beneath the skin.

It is one of the calf muscles at the back of the lower leg. It attaches to the heel with the Achilles Tendon and originates behind the knee on the femur, crossing two joints. Plantar flexion is just medical terminology for the movement of pointing/pressing the ball (front part) of your foot downwards. It is made up of two thick fibrous bands that originate behind the knee with what’s known as two “heads”; it ends at the ankle, right where the foot begins. Symptoms include gradual onset pain at the back of the knee.