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The Soleus is located in the Superficial Posterior Compartment of the (lower) leg. The muscles in the superficial posterior compartment are:
- Gastrocnemius
- Soleus
- Plantaris
ATTACHMENTS:
- Posterior tibia and fibula to the calcaneus via the Achilles/calcaneal tendon.
- The proximal attachments are onto the soleal line of the tibia and the head and proximal 1/3 of the fibula.
ACTIONS:
- Plantarflexes the foot at the ankle joint.
- Inverts (Supinates) the foot at the subtalar joint.
NOTES:
- The soleus is a very thick muscle; it is usually thicker than the gastrocnemius. “Behind every great gastrocnemius is a great soleus.” 🙂
- The soleus is part of the triceps surae group (along with the two heads of the gastrocnemius.
- Inversion is the principal cardinal-plane (frontal-plane) component of the oblique-plane motion pattern of supination.
