Corpus: Popliteal muscle

The popliteal muscle is a small skeletal muscle located on the posterior surface of the knee joint. It belongs to the deep flexors of the lower leg muscles.

The popliteal muscle originates from the lateral condyle of the distal femur and attaches to the joint capsule of the knee and the posterior surface of the tibia below the condyles.

The fascia of the popliteal muscle is reinforced by three structures:

• Portion near the tibia: fibers from the arcuate popliteal ligament
• Central part: fibers from the posterior cruciate ligament
• Attachment point: fibers from the tendon of the semimembranosus muscle

The popliteal muscle is innervated by the tibial nerve.

The popliteal muscle has several functions:

• It supports the flexion of the already flexed knee joint.
• By internally rotating the tibia and externally rotating the femur, the popliteal muscle unlocks the knee joint from its extended position.
• It pulls the lateral meniscus dorsally during knee flexion and thus prevents it from becoming trapped.