Assuming the calf refers to the back of the lower leg, what is the front called???
Shin.
The shin is actually the anterior part (of the lower leg). The calf itself being the posterior.
In anatomy the lower leg refers to the part from the knee down, the knee up is the leg.
The lower limb is the whole thing from the hip to the toes.
There is symmetry with the arm, where the forearm refers to the part of the arm below the elbow.
Proper anatomy doesn’t really use terms like “calf” and “shin”, just like it doesn’t use terms like “fingers and toes” (digits) or “bottom” (gluteals).
The calf is the Gastrocnemius. The shin muscle is the tibialis anterior. (same link.)
Isn’t the soleus part of the calf, as well?
Oh, you’re correct! Anterior vs. posterior like “ante-meridian” vs. “post-meridian”! My mistake! :o
I hear “gastrocsoleus” all the time, since distinguishing them isn’t usually necessary at a clinical level.
Not for Americans. We have thighs from the knee up and legs from the knee down.
Some Americans, maybe. For me (Pennsylvania), the leg is the whole thing. The upper leg is also called the thigh. The lower leg is from the knee down.
Not anatomically. In the US, there is ‘arm’ and ‘forearm’ and ‘thigh’ and ‘leg’.
Ah…I missed that he was talking about technical terms.