Tendinous arch of soleus muscle
Arcus tendineus musculi solei
- Synonym: Soleal arch
- Related terms: Tendinous arch of soleus
Definition
The tendinous arch of the soleus muscle is formed by some tendinous fibers arising from the superoanterior surface of the soleus muscle, placed between the tibial and fibular origins of the muscle, in front of which the popliteal vessels and tibial nerve run.
It is one of the three aponeurotic origin tendons, along with the lateral origin tendon (LOT) and the medial origin tendon (MOT), which are arranged along the margins of the soleus muscle. The tendinous arch, along with the LOT and MOT, forms part of the complex musculotendinous architecture of the soleus muscle.[1]
The tendinous arch is significant because it can be a site of tibial nerve entrapment, as described in a case report where the tibial nerve was compressed by the arch, leading to pain and neurological symptoms.[2]
References
1.Anatomical Study of the Soleus: Application to Improved Imaging Diagnoses.Kimura N, Kato K, Anetai H, et al.Clinical Anatomy (New York, N.Y.). 2021;34(7):991-1001. doi:10.1002/ca.23667.
2.Tibial Nerve Entrapment at the Tendinous Arch of the Soleus: A Case Report.Iida T, Kobayashi M.Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. 1997;(334):265-9.
3.This definition incorporates text from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy (20th U.S. edition of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, published in 1918 – from http://www.bartleby.com/107/).
