Have you ever before watched a ballet dancer was standing en pointe (also recognized as relevé) and also wondered how it was also possible? That"s usually my attitude whenever I watch a ballet performance: "You are a human, no a swan. Avoid being so graceful."
Ballet dancers undergo rigorous training to perform—not simply learning choreography, however training your skeletons to bend and stretch in extreme poses. Relevé is an instance of too much plantarflexion, in which the foot bends down toward the sole.
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There are rather a few muscles affiliated in this action. Let"s take a look in ~ them.
Triceps Surae
The triceps surae is a group of muscle in the posterior compartment the the distal leg, made up of the gastrocnemius, soleus, and their typical tendon, the Achilles tendon; the triceps surae is frequently known as the calf.
Origin | Insertion | |
Gastrocnemius | Posterior surface of the femoral condyles | Posterior surface of the calcaneus by means of the Achilles tendon |
Soleus | Posterior surface of the head and upper 3rd of the fibular shaft, and also posterior tibia | Posterior surface ar of the calcaneus by means of the Achilles tendon |
The tendon inserts top top the calcaneus, and during plantarflexion the tendon flexes, causing the bone to rise as the rest of the foot move downward.
Flexor Muscles
It appears a offered that plantarflexion, gift a flex action, would have actually flexor muscles exhilaration in it. The flexor hallucis longus and also flexor digitorum longus muscles, both part of the posterior compartment the the distal leg, work-related not just in plantarflexion but additionally to flex the phalanges that the foot.
Origin | Insertion | |
Flexor hallucis longus | Posterior fibula and also inferior interosseous membrane | Inferior surface of distal phalanx 1 |
Flexor digitorum longus | Posterior surface ar of tibia | Inferior surface of distal phalanges 2-5 |
Tibialis Posterior Muscle
The tibialis posterior plot in 2 muscle actions: plantarflexion and foot inversion. The is a deep muscle in the posterior compartment.
Origin | Insertion | |
Tibialis posterior | Interosseous membrane, posterior surface of tibia, and medial surface of fibula | Tuberosity ~ above navicular and slips come cuneiforms (3), cuboid, and also metatarsals 2-4 |
Plantaris Muscle
I love the plantaris. It"s for this reason odd-looking—more of a whipcord than anything. It"s a superficial muscle that the posterior compartment. Sometimes thought about an accessory muscle, it consists of a small, thin muscle belly and also a long, thin tendon.
The plantaris is an assist muscle, which means that it aids in providing steadiness in the act.
Origin | Insertion | |
Plantaris | Supracondyle ridge that femur | Posterior part of calcaneus (along v Achilles tendon) |
Plantarflexion Injuries
Imagine those ballet dancers for a second—do friend think lock learn exactly how to relevé without some bumps and also bruises along the way? Injuries linked with plantarflexion are really common. One of the most common injuries is fishing eye sprains, especially straining the anterior talofibular ligament (ATF).
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So, the next time you clock a ballet power (or cringe your method through the movie Black Swan), think of every the muscle working with each other to elevator those graceful dancers increase onto their toes.