KNEE PAIN? ⠀ POPLITEUS MUSCLE ⠀ [ANATOMY, BIOMECHANICS & PATHOLOGY] ⠀ The popliteus is a fairly small muscle located behind the knee. It runs from the lateral side of the femur to the medial side of the tibia, lying deep beneath the calf muscle. Its role is to flex the knee in the sagittal plane, medially rotate the tibia relative to the femur in the transverse plane and is particularly active to unlock the fully extended knee by flexion and rotation action. The popliteus is one of only two muscles in the human body that has a tendon that runs inside a joint. Because of its role in assisting the PCL when running downhill by decelerating the femur and preventing its sliding forward on the tibia, runners can start developing symptoms after an abnormally long hill-training session. People with unstable knees (torn ligaments, torn meniscus, arthritis…) are also prone to develop a popliteus problem because of its important role in stabilizing the knee. The popliteus is kind of a 🗝 muscle, if there are any irritations inside or outside the knee happening the popliteus usually reacts with tightness and trigger points which can lead to knee pain. Popliteus problems remain under-diagnosed to this day, meaning that a lot of people suffer from it without knowing. Its small role in gait function and its deep location make it unsuspected and underestimated by a lot of health professionals. Also its symptoms are strangely very similar to those of a torn collateral ligament/meniscus or a patellofemoral syndrome. So if you have been experiencing knee pain and it does not seem to heal, ask your health professional about the popliteus. Popliteus muscle problems simply appear as tendonitis, muscle tightness or trigger points so it should be treated the same way meaning anti-inflammatory- and physio treatment. Especially with fascial and trigger point treatments I experienced very good results! Popliteus problems respond well to treatment, so keep your 👀 open!