Calcaneal tendon

Muscles · Latin: Tendo calcaneus

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The calcaneal tendon or heel cord, also known as the Achilles tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body.

It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcaneus (heel) bone.

These muscles, acting via the tendon, cause plantar flexion of the foot at the ankle joint, and (except the soleus) flexion at the knee.

Abnormalities of the calcaneal tendon include inflammation (calcaneal tendinitis), degeneration, rupture, and becoming embedded with cholesterol deposits (xanthomas).

The calcaneal tendon was named in 1693 after the Greek hero calcaneal.

Definition from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.