A Case Report Of A Variant Head Of Gastrocnemius

ABSTRACT

The Gastrocnemius muscle is a fusiform, two-headed, two-joint muscle. The two heads of origin are lateral andmedial head taking origin from medial and lateral condyles of femur. In between the two heads tibial nervepasses. Its other end forms a common tendon with the soleus muscle; this tendon is known as the tendocalcaneusor Achilles tendon which get inserted to posterior surface of calcaneum. The case was reported during routinedissection for undergraduate M.B.B.S. students in Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh. Thesubject was 70-year-old male cadaver of North Indian origin. The accessory head was observed during thedissection of popliteal fossa. The Gastrocnemius muscle was bulky. The inferolateral and inferomedial boundaryof the popliteal fossa were made by medial and lateral head of gastrocnemius. In addition to the normal medialand lateral head an accessory head of gastrocnemius was observed. The accessory head had bipennatearrangement of the muscle fibers. in the left lower limb were observed. All the heads were innervated by branchesfrom tibial nerve. It is possible that this variant muscle could have a compressive effect on the tibial nerve andpopliteal vessels, and the awareness of this may prevent its misinterpretation as a pathological structure byradiologists and surgeons