Fig. 2. Overview of the experimental conditions in progressive stages of dissection. Note that images do not show the position of the rat hind limb in the experimental set-up. (A) Initial condition. Dorsal view of the lower hind limb of the rat after the GM and GL have been separated. Below the GM and GL, the PL is visible. The distal tendons of the GM and PL were the only tendons connected to the calcaneal bone. The tip of a pair of tweezers is shown in the image, pointing at the GM and PL tendons. The cut calcaneal bone was connected to a force transducer (not shown). The dissected proximal origin of GM is not visible in this image. SN indicates the sciatic nerve. (B) Post PL-tenotomy. Dorsolateral view. A very small area of the connective tissue (barely visible but indicated by an arrow) was dissected to perform the PL-tenotomy. (C) Connective tissues around the GM muscle belly. Medial view. After dissection of the epitendinous tissues, the GM muscle belly is still connected to extramuscular tissue (i.e. remnants of the general fascia and epimysium). These tissues, holding the muscle belly, are indicated by an arrow. (D) Full dissection of the GM muscle. Ventral view. The GM muscle belly has been dissected free from its extramuscular tissues except for the neuro-vascular tract (i.e. nerves, blood vessels and the connective tissue). The arrow indicates the femoral artery entering the GM proximally and medially; the nerve is entering GM proximally and laterally and is therefore not visible in this image. In this view, the dissected GM origin, with a piece of the femur, is visible.