A Review of the Anatomy, Physiology and Function of The Popliteus Muscle

The literature on anatomy, physiology, function and pathology of the Popliteus muscle (PM) is reviewed. The descriptive anatomy of the PM in the literature is much more variable than described in classical anatomy books. The literature gives different options on the function of the PM. The retraction of the meniscus is debatable and may not have clinical value. No one argues the rotary effect of the PM muscle. The PM muscle’s placement and close relationship to the capsule makes it easy to emphasize its function as a stability muscle, however the PM muscle may not stabilize the knee in all directions. The PM muscle has shown feedforward activity in some movements but not in all. This makes it questionable to consider it as a local stability muscle.