What is the main function of the popliteus muscle?
Despite its small size, the popliteus is a major stabilizer of the knee. The popliteus is involved in both the closed chain phase and open-chain phase of the gait cycle. During the closed chain phase, which is when the foot is in contact with the ground, the muscle externally rotates the femur on the tibia.
Can you palpate the popliteus muscle?
Palpation is performed with the subject in the prone-lying position. The knee is slightly bent to release the posterior fascia. A slight resisted flexion of the knee brings the upper borders of the popliteal fossa into prominence. Medially the tendon of the semitendinosus is easily identified as a round cord.
How do you test a popliteus muscle?
To test the popliteus, the patient can be placed on his back on the table with the knee in a 90 degree flexion and the foot in dorsiflexion. To test the popliteus, the therapist then has to going push the foot and underleg externally while the patient has to maintain his position.
What are the peculiarities of popliteus muscle?
The popliteus muscle is a thin, flat, triangular-shaped muscle located at the back of the knee joint. This muscle receives electrical impulses from the brain through the tibial nerve and it receives its blood supply from the heart through the popliteal artery.
What movement does the Popliteus muscle perform?
| Popliteus muscle | |
|---|---|
| Nerve | Tibial nerve |
| Actions | Medially rotates tibia on the femur if the femur is fixed (sitting down) or laterally rotates femur on the tibia if tibia is fixed (standing up), unlocks the knee to allow flexion (bending), helps to prevent the forward dislocation of the femur while crouching |
| Identifiers |
What movement does the Sartorius perform?
Function. At the hip it flexes, weakly abducts, and rotates the thigh laterally. At the knee, it can flex the leg; when the knee is flexed, it also rotates the leg medially. This muscle plays an important part in stabilisation of the pelvis—especially in women.
Where is the popliteal pulse palpated?
knee
Wrap your hand around your knee so your fingers are against the soft spot in the back of your knee. Slowly press your fingers into this soft spot until you can feel your pulse. It should feel like a steady pulse once or twice per second. This is your popliteal pulse.
What can you palpate on the neck?
The following areas in the neck should be palpated: subocciput, around the ears, below the jaw, along the anterior sternocleidomastoideus and trapezius muscles, posterior sternocleidomastoideus, and the supraclavicular space. Nodes are palpated by rolling the balls of the fingertips up and down and laterally.
What is the popliteal?
The Popliteal Fossa is a diamond-shaped space behind the knee joint. It is formed between the muscles in the posterior compartments of the thigh and leg. This anatomical landmark is the major route by which structures pass between the thigh and leg.
Why is popliteus called key muscle?
Popliteus is often referred to as the “Key” to unlocking the knee since it begins knee flexion by laterally rotating the femur on the tibia.
What movement does the popliteus muscle perform?
What does the popliteus feel like?
Popliteus muscle injury symptoms can occur gradually through overuse or may result from a sudden twisting, fall or collision and include: Pain at the back of your knee joint. Your knee will feel tender when pressing in at the back.