Lastly, the superficial posterior compartment houses the gastrocnemius, soleus, and plantaris. The rest of the muscles in the deep posterior compartment participate in the flexion of the toes as well as the inversion and plantarflexion of the foot. The popliteus helps rotate and flex the knee. The deep posterior compartment contains the tibialis posterior, flexor hallucis longus, flexor digitorum longus, and popliteus. The lateral compartment contains the fibularis brevis and fibularis longus. These muscles participate in the dorsiflexion of the foot. The tibialis anterior, extensor hallucis longus, and extensor digitorum longus, and peroneus tertius, can be found in the anterior compartment. The lower leg has four compartments: anterior, lateral, deep posterior, and superficial posterior. The hamstrings (biceps femoris, semimembranosus, and semitendinosus) make up the posterior compartment. Most of these muscles participate in the adduction of the hip. The medial compartment contains the pectineus, external obturator, gracilis, adductor magnus, adductor longus, and adductor brevis. These muscles are primarily involved in the extension of the knee joint. The anterior compartment contains the sartorius, articularis genu, and the four muscles that make up the quadriceps femoris group.
![picture of compartments of leg picture of compartments of leg](https://image1.slideserve.com/2503572/anterior-compartment-l.jpg)
The medial intermuscular septum (highlighted) of the left leg, separating the anterior and medial compartments. The thigh, or upper leg, has three compartments: anterior, medial, and posterior. The anterior compartment of the forearm contains muscles that flex the wrist and digits and pronate the forearm, whereas the posterior component of the forearm contains muscles that extend the wrists and digits and supinate the forearm. In contrast, the posterior compartment of the arm contains the muscles that extend the elbow joint: the triceps brachii and anconeus. The muscles of the anterior compartment of the upper arm. The anterior compartment of the arm contains the coracobrachialis and the prime movers of elbow flexion, the muscles that flex the elbow joint: the biceps brachii and brachialis. There are four fascial compartments in each of the upper limbs: the anterior and posterior compartments of the arm, and the anterior and posterior compartments of the forearm. Compartments are separated from one another by special bands of fascia called intermuscular septa. Usually, muscles within the same compartment are innervated by the same nerve or nerves. For that reason, some scientists consider the body’s fascia to be one giant sensory organ! What are fascial compartments?įascial compartments are what we call groups of muscles and nerves wrapped in a layer of fascia. Here’s another cool fascia fact: fascia contains pain receptors and mechanoreceptors, which are sensory receptors that detect stretching or changes in pressure. When healthy, fascia is also usually smooth and slippery, able to shift its consistency between a more gel-like state and a more fluid one. This makes it flexible, so it can stretch when the body moves.
![picture of compartments of leg picture of compartments of leg](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/anatomyoftheanteriorlateralcompartmentsoftheleg-140318223051-phpapp01/95/anatomy-of-the-anterior-lateral-compartments-of-the-leg-6-1024.jpg)
Like ligaments and tendons, fascia is composed primarily of elastin and collagen. In the image above, you can see the subcutaneous veins and nerves outside the fascia layer on the 3D model. For example, if you select the muscular system in the systems tray, the fascia will display along with all the muscles. In Human Anatomy Atlas, the fascia displays as part of the muscular system. Thin layers of fascia surround our internal organs, as well as muscles, groups of muscles, blood vessels, and nerves, holding them in place or allowing them to slide past each other as needed.įascia of the thighs with nerves and blood vessels. Image from Human Anatomy Atlas.įascia might not get as much publicity as ligaments or tendons, but it’s just as important. You might already be familiar with a few important instances of fascia in the body such as the iliotibial (IT) band, which runs along the outside of the thigh and stabilizes the knee, or the plantar fascia, which runs along the bottom of the foot and connects the heel bone to the toes. Īt the most basic level, fascia is a type of connective tissue. To get you hyped for this new content, we’ll talk in this blog post about what fascia and fascial compartments are, and we’ll also give a brief overview of some common pathologies that affect them.įascia of the right arm. Guess what, VB Blog readers? We have some exciting news for you! Fascial compartments have been one of our most-requested anatomy additions, and we've added them to Human Anatomy Atlas 2021 and Human Anatomy Atlas for Web Suite and Courseware!
![picture of compartments of leg picture of compartments of leg](https://www.nysora.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/50x11.jpg)
New Anatomy Content: Fascia, Fascial Compartments, and Compartment Syndrome