Abstract:

Objective　To investigate the relationship between muscular architecture and distribution of intramuscular nerves of popliteus in human.　Methods　Gross anatomy method, muscle architecture method, modified Sihler's staining were used.　Results　Popliteus of human is a triangular flat muscle With two instramuscular tendons in muscle. it has a weigh of (15.13±0.41)g, a length of (1.93±0.09)cm, and a physiologic cross sectional area of (7.17±0.13)cm2. The nerve innervating the popliteus enters the muscle through its lateral margin and bifurcates in its substance into an upper branch and a lower branch. The upper branch, which is comparatively smaller, innervates the anterosuperior portion of the muscle, and the lower branch, which is comparatively larger, innervates the anteroinferior and posterior portions of the muscle.　Conclusion　Popliteus is pinnate in shape in human, indicating its function of mainly about power generation. The nerve innervating is mainly located in the middle and inferior portions of it.

Key words: Popliteus, Muscle architecture,  , Intramuscular nerve