Bilateral additional bellies of the soleus muscle : anatomical and clinical insight

Introduction The soleus muscle arises primarily by two heads, which are united by a tendinous arch. The fibular head of the soleus arises from the head of the fibula and about third of the shaft; the tibial head arises from the soleal line on the tibia. Muscular fibers of the soleus end in a broad aponeurosis and unite with aponeurosis of the gastrocnemius to form tendo calcaneus. It is supplied by branches of popliteal artery and its innervation is derived from tibial nerve [1]. The current study demonstrates presence of additional musculo-tendinous bellies attached to the soleus both proximally and distally. Injuries of the distal third of the leg pose a clinical challenge due to closeness of the skin and poor circulation [2]. Appropriate coverage of these defects through flaps is being increasingly used by surgeons underlying the importance of a detailed knowledge of this rare musculotendinous belly. To the best of our knowledge, the bilateral presence of additional bellies of soleus muscle has been rarely reported.