Standing or lying prone
Ask the patient to wear shorts or roll up long pants above the knees and remove shoes and socks.
Posterior to the patient.
The patient may want to rest his/her hands on a plinth, chair, or wall for balance.
Please stand facing away from me (or other position). May I touch your calf? (or point to the area). Please stand up on your toes (or demonstrate).
Guide or ask the patient to stand facing away from you. With the patient relaxed and with permission, place your fingers on the muscular medial and lateral heads of the gastrocnemius on the superficial proximal calf. Ask the patient to stand up on their toes with ankles plantarflexed. This action allows the two heads to be clearly visible and distinguished from each other. The two heads of the gastrocnemius muscle with the soleus muscle form the triceps surae muscle complex.
The calcaneal tendon (Achilles tendon), the combined tendon of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, is easily visible and palpable on the distal superficial leg, as the tendon attaches to the calcaneus.
The calcaneal tendon (Achilles tendon), the combined tendon of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, is easily visible and palpable on the distal superficial leg, as the tendon attaches to the calcaneus.
VH - Leg and foot skeleton with gastrocnemius and soleus muscles and ñ add posterior tibialis, flexor digitorum longus, flexor hallucis longus and peroneus longus and brevis muscles and tendons on one side