This section summarizes the reported presence and absence of the plantaris muscle in selected adult anatomical studies. Values are presented as study-specific observations rather than as a pooled prevalence estimate [1-10].
Presence / Absence
The plantaris muscle is usually present in the adult lower limb, although reported prevalence differs between anatomical series. In the selected adult anatomical studies included here, reported presence ranges from 81.8% to 100%, with corresponding absence ranging from 0% to 18.2% [1-10].
Table 1. Reported presence and absence of the plantaris muscle in selected adult anatomical studies.
| Study | Material | Presence | Absence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daseler and Anson [1] | 750 lower extremities | 93.33% (700/750) | 6.67% (50/750) |
| Harvey et al. [2] | 658 cadavers; exact dissected-limb denominator not specified in the reported data | 81.8% | 18.2% |
| Freeman et al. [3] | 46 cadaveric knees | 86.96% (40/46) | 13.04% (6/46) |
| Nayak et al. [4] | 52 adult cadaveric lower limbs | 92.31% (48/52) | 7.69% (4/52) |
| Aragao et al. [5] | 20 adult cadaveric lower limbs | 100% (20/20) | 0% (0/20) |
| van Sterkenburg et al. [6] | 107 cadaveric lower legs | 100% (107/107) | 0% (0/107) |
| Olewnik et al. [7] | 50 adult cadaveric lower limbs | 96% (48/50) | 4% (2/50) |
| Olewnik et al. [8] | 130 adult cadaveric lower limbs | 89.2% (116/130) | 10.8% (14/130) |
| Olewnik et al. [9] | 142 adult cadaveric lower limbs | 90.1% (128/142) | 9.9% (14/142) |
| Lee et al. [10] | 160 adult cadaveric lower limbs | 91.25% (146/160) | 8.75% (14/160) |
The table summarizes study-specific adult anatomical observations and should not be interpreted as a pooled prevalence estimate.
IInterpretation of Presence and Absence
Reported presence and absence rates should be interpreted in the context of the study population, specimen material, dissection methodology, denominator and criteria used to identify the plantaris muscle or tendon. A reported absence therefore represents a study-specific anatomical observation and should not be assumed to reflect a single underlying anatomical mechanism [1-10].
Presence or absence should be recorded as a separate anatomical variable from proximal attachment / origin, muscle belly morphology, tendon course and distal attachment / insertion. These additional morphological domains require independent anatomical assessment [3,4,6-10].
Key Points
- The plantaris muscle is usually present in the adult lower limb, although reported prevalence varies between anatomical series [1-10].
- Reported presence and absence values should be interpreted as study-specific observations in the context of specimen material, study population, denominator and anatomical assessment methodology, rather than as a pooled prevalence estimate [1-10].
- Presence or absence represents a distinct anatomical variable and should be documented separately from proximal attachment / origin, muscle belly morphology, tendon course and distal attachment / insertion [3,4,6-10].
References
1. Daseler EH, Anson BJ. The plantaris muscle: an anatomical study of 750 specimens. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1943;25(4):822-827.
2. Harvey FJ, Chu G, Harvey PM. Surgical availability of the plantaris tendon. J Hand Surg Am. 1983;8(3):243-247. doi:10.1016/S0363-5023(83)80151-8.
3. Freeman AJ, Jacobson NA, Fogg QA. Anatomical variations of the plantaris muscle and a potential role in patellofemoral pain syndrome. Clin Anat. 2008;21(2):178-181. doi:10.1002/ca.20594.
4. Nayak SR, Krishnamurthy A, Ramanathan L, Ranade AV, Prabhu LV, Jiji PJ, Rai R, Chettiar GK, Potu BK. Anatomy of plantaris muscle: a study in adult Indians. Clin Ter. 2010;161(3):249-252.
5. Aragao JA, Reis FP, Guerra DR, Cabral RH. The occurrence of the plantaris muscle and its muscle-tendon relationship in adult human cadavers. Int J Morphol. 2010;28(1):255-258. doi:10.4067/S0717-95022010000100037.
6. van Sterkenburg MN, Kerkhoffs GMMJ, Kleipool RP, van Dijk CN. The plantaris tendon and a potential role in mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy: an observational anatomical study. J Anat. 2011;218(3):336-341. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7580.2011.01335.x.
7. Olewnik L, Wysiadecki G, Polguj M, Topol M. Anatomic study suggests that the morphology of the plantaris tendon may be related to Achilles tendonitis. Surg Radiol Anat. 2017;39(1):69-75. doi:10.1007/s00276-016-1682-1.
8. Olewnik L, Wysiadecki G, Podgorski M, Polguj M, Topol M. The plantaris muscle tendon and its relationship with the Achilles tendinopathy. Biomed Res Int. 2018;2018:9623579. doi:10.1155/2018/9623579.
9. Olewnik L, Kurtys K, Gonera B, Podgorski M, Sibinski M, Polguj M. Proposal for a new classification of plantaris muscle origin and its potential effect on the knee joint. Ann Anat. 2020;231:151506. doi:10.1016/j.aanat.2020.151506.
10. Lee H, Heo Y, Kim D, Hwang SJ. Morphological classification of the plantaris muscle origin: a cadaveric study. Sci Rep. 2025;15(1):38527. doi:10.1038/s41598-025-18762-9.
VARIANTIS. Plantaris muscle: presence and prevalence. In: VARIANTIS Encyclopedia of Human Anatomical Variation [Internet]. 2026 [cited 2026 Aug 27]. Available from: View entry URL
VARIANTIS (2026) ‘Plantaris muscle: presence and prevalence’. VARIANTIS Encyclopedia of Human Anatomical Variation. Available at: View entry URL (Accessed: 27 August 2026).
VARIANTIS, ‘Plantaris muscle: presence and prevalence’, VARIANTIS Encyclopedia of Human Anatomical Variation (2026), View entry URL [accessed 27 August 2026].