Muscles - Muscles of the hock and calves - Caudal

11 important questions on Muscles - Muscles of the hock and calves - Caudal

What are the caudal muscles of the hock and calves?

1. Gastrocnemius (triceps surae): medial, lateral, soleus (not in dogs)
2. Superficial digital flexor (SDF)
3. Deep digital flexor (DDF)
4. Popliteus

What is different about the soleus in the gastrocnemius?

It is tiny in horse and ruminants, large in cat and rabbit, and absent in dogs

What is the superficial digital flexor?

It is a digital flexor and hock extensor deep to the gastrocnemius. It is originated above the condyles of the femur and inserts at the calcaneus bound in calcaneal tendon & to P1 and P2
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What is the common calcaneal tendon?

It is a tendon where the caudal muscles of the hock/calves merge and travel together to the calcaneus. It includes:
1. Gastrocnemius (with soleus in some species)
2. SDF
3. Fascia of the biceps femoris
4. Gracilis (carnivores)
5. Medial aspect of the semitendinosus

What is the deep digital flexor?

It is a digital flexor that is deep to the gastrocnemius and the SDF. It is originated from the caudal surface of tibia, and it inserts in the plantar surface of P3 and splits to each digit.

What are the tendons of the deep digital flexor?

Medial and common

What is the sustentaculum tali?

It is a surface on the calcaneus bone of the hock where the common DDF tendon can slide on

What is the popliteus muscle?

It is a muscle between the SDF tendon and the DDF muscle, it stabilizes the stifle joint and the femur. It originates from the caudal surface of lateral condyle of femur, and inserts on the medial border of tibia.

What is the reciprocal apparatus of the horse?

It is a part of the stay apparatus with stifle locking mechanism, it involves the peroneus tertius (cranial) and SDF (caudal). This means that stifle and hock must be extended or flexed together.

What is underneath the SDF and calcaneus?

Subtendinous calcaneal bursae

What happens to the DDFT and SDFT at the fetlock level in horses?

The DDFT perforates the SDFT, and then inserts down to the semilunar crest of the P3.

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