Right gastrocnemius lateral head

Identify gastrocnemius lateral head

The outer head of gastrocnemius, paired with the medial head in the superficial calf.

Lateral means away from the body's midline. Compare the two heads with anatomical orientation in mind when rotating the model.

Sources: OpenStax · Lower-leg anatomy tables

Principal attachments and heel connection

Its proximal attachment is on the femur above the lateral condyle.

Distally, gastrocnemius and soleus reach the calcaneus through the calcaneal (Achilles) tendon.

Here, tendon-colored boundaries and separate tendon layers are not modeled. The text describes anatomy beyond the selectable surface.

Sources: Lower-leg anatomy tables

Ankle action and the knee

Gastrocnemius produces ankle plantar flexion and can assist knee flexion.

Plantar flexion points the foot downward at the ankle. This static viewer does not animate the movement or predict strength, tendon load or range of motion.

Sources: Lower-leg anatomy tables · OpenStax

Innervation

The tibial nerve supplies the muscle. Its branches and the supplying blood vessels are not present in the current model.

Sources: Lower-leg anatomy tables

Read the model

Explore right gastrocnemius lateral head in 3D

1. Orient the selected structure. Start with Back and rotate toward the outer calf. Show context reveals the neighboring medial head and the bones.
2. Restore this side. Show context restores the existing 31 bones and 21 muscle parts in this leg. Select the calcaneus to inspect the heel; the Achilles tendon is not a separate selectable item.
3. Compare the calf layers. The regional lower-leg close-up omits the femur and foot bones, including the heel. This full-leg structure page includes those bones when context is restored. Right calf guides →

Sources and editorial status

This guide uses independently written explanations with links to the evidence behind them. Source checking and specialist anatomical review are separate steps; the latter is still pending.

1. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso — Hip, posterior thigh and leg anatomy tables

   Gastrocnemius and soleus rows: principal attachments, actions and tibial nerve supply. Introductory summaries, not exhaustive attachment maps.

2. OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e — Appendicular muscles of the pelvic girdle and lower limbs

   Superficial posterior calf group and the relationship between gastrocnemius and soleus. No textbook text or images are reproduced.

3D geometry and its separate license are credited beneath the viewer. References do not imply endorsement of this site.