Editing Heel (section)

== Structure ==
[[File:Science ofDressTo face p236cutA.png|thumb|Sagittal section through the foot]]
[[File:Ospied-en.svg|thumb|From above]]
To distribute the compressive forces exerted on the heel during [[gait]], and especially the stance phase when the heel contacts the ground, the [[sole (foot)|sole]] of the foot is covered by a layer of subcutaneous connective tissue up to 2&nbsp;cm thick (under the heel)<!--- illustrated but not mentioned in given ref --->. This tissue has a system of pressure chambers that both acts as a shock absorber and stabilises the sole.  Each of these chambers contains fibrofatty tissue covered by a layer of tough connective tissue made of [[collagen]] fibers. These [[septum|septa]] ("walls") are firmly attached both to the [[plantar aponeurosis]] above and the sole's [[Dermis|skin]] below. The sole of the foot is one of the most highly vascularized regions of the body surface, and the dense system of blood vessels further stabilize the septa.
<ref>''Thieme Atlas'' 2006, p 418</ref>

The [[Achilles tendon]] is the muscle tendon of the [[triceps surae]], a "three-headed" group of muscles—the [[soleus muscle|soleus]] and the two heads of the [[gastrocnemius muscle|gastrocnemius]]. The main function of the triceps surae is [[plantar flexion]], i.e. to stretch the foot downward. It is accompanied by a "fourth head", the slight [[plantaris muscle]], the long slender tendon of which is also attached to the heel bone but not visible.
<ref>''Thieme Atlas'' 2006, p 434</ref>