Leg

In biology, a leg is the part of an animal's body (most commonly in one of the even numbers of 2, 4, 6 or 8, and many more in millipedes) that separates the body from the ground and is used for locomotion.

In an extended sense, a leg is any part of an object that supports it off the ground. An example is the legs of a table or a chair.

Strictly speaking, in human anatomy, the leg only includes everything between the knee and the foot, and is a part of the lower limb.

Table of contents

1 Bones of the human leg (from hip joint to ankle joint): 2 Muscles of the human leg: 2.1 Muscles of the thigh 2.2 Muscles of the calf 3 Vasculature of the leg 3.3 The arteries 3.4 The veins

Bones of the human leg (from hip joint to ankle joint):

• Femur
• Patella
• Tibia
• Fibula

Muscles of the human leg:

Muscles of the thigh

Anterior compartment of the thigh

• Quadriceps femoris, which is composed of:
  • Vastus lateralis

Vastus medialis

Vastus intermedius

Rectus femoris

Sartorius

Adductor longus

Adductor brevis

Adductor magnus

Gracilic

Pectineus

Gluteus maximus

Tensor fascia lata

Posterior compartment of the thigh

• Biceps femoris

Semimembranosus

Semitendinosus

Muscles of the calf

• Popliteus

The anterior compartment

• Tibialis anterior

Extensor digitorum longus

Extensor hallicus longus

Peroneus tertius

The posterior compartment

• Gastrocnemius (attached to the calcaneus by Achilles' tendon)

Plantaris

Soleus

The lateral compartment

• Peroneus longus

Peronius brevis

The deep posterior compartment

• Tibialis posterior

Flexor digitorum longus

Flexor hallicus longus

Vasculature of the leg

The arteries

Common femoral artery

Deep femoral artery

Superficial femoral artery

Popliteal artery

Anterior tibial artery

Posterior tibial artery

Peroneal artery

Arcuate artery

The veins

Greater saphenous vein

Lesser saphenous vein

Femoral vein

Popliteal vein

Anterior tibial vein

Posterior tibial vein

Peroneal vein