Novel innervation of accessory slip of lateral head of gastrocnemius muscle

Abstract

The two heads of the gastrocnemius muscle, as well as the plantaris and soleus muscles, forms the superficial muscular group in the posterior compartment of the leg. The incidental occurrence of accessory slip of the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle in the right lower limb, innervated by a twig from the common peroneal nerve, is described in this report. We identified an anomalous 8 cm long muscle in the right popliteal fossa during standard academic dissection of a male corpse at the Department of Anatomy. It was attached to the lateral side of the femur's popliteal surface proximally and joined the lateral head of the gastrocnemius distally. In the left lower limb, no similar variation was observed.