In this note, we’ll start with the borders of the lower limb:
Posterior border consists of the coccyx and the lateral margins of the sacrum
Lateral border is the iliac crest
Anterior border consists of the inguinal ligament and the pubic symphysis
There are several regions within the lower limb:
Gluteal region(regio glutealis)
Femoral region (regio femoralis)
Knee region (regio genus)
Leg region(regio cruralis)
Ankle region (regio talocruralis)
Foot region (regio pedis)
Within these areas, the muscles of the lower limb are located.
These include:
Pelvic girdle muscles
Muscles of the free part of lower limb
The muscles of the free part of the lower limb are divided into:
Thigh muscles
Leg muscles
Foot muscles
The muscles of the foot are divided into dorsal and plantar. The plantar muscles, in turn, form three groups:
Medial plantar muscles, which consist of the muscles of the great toe
Central plantar muscles
Lateral plantar muscles, which consist of the muscles of the little toe.
The dorsal muscles of the foot include:
Extensor digitorum brevis muscle (musculus extensor digitorum brevis)
Extensor hallucis brevis muscle (musculus extensor hallucis brevis)
The medial plantar muscles include:
Abductor hallucis muscle (musculus abductor hallucis)
Adductor hallucis muscle (musculus adductor hallucis)
Flexor hallucis brevis muscle (musculus flexor hallucis brevis)
The central plantar muscles include:
Flexor digitorum brevis muscle (m. flexor digitorum brevis)
Quadratus plantae muscle (m. quadratus plantae)
Plantar interossei muscles (musculi interossei plantares)
Dorsal interossei muscles (musculi interossei dorsales)
Lumbrical muscles (musculi lumbricales)
The lateral plantar muscles include:
Abductor digiti minimi muscle (musculus abductor digiti minimi pedis)
Flexor digiti minimi muscle (musculus flexor digiti minimi)
Opponens digiti minimi muscle (musculus opponens digiti minimi)
Let’s consider each muscle in greater detail
(musculus extensor digitorum brevis)
Origin: superior surface of the calcaneus
Insertion: proximal phalanx of the great toe
Function: extends the great toe
Innervation: deep fibular nerve
Blood supply: dorsal artery of the foot
(musculus extensor hallucis brevis)
Origin: superior surface of the calcaneus
Insertion: proximal phalanx of the great toe
Function: extends the great toe
Innervation: deep fibular nerve
Blood supply: dorsal artery of the foot
(musculus abductor hallucis)
Origin: calcaneal tuberosity, navicular tuberosity, plantar aponeurosis
Insertion: proximal phalanx of the great toe, medial sesamoid bone of the great toe
Function: abducts the great toe in the medial direction
Innervation: medial plantar nerve
Blood supply: medial plantar artery
(musculus adductor hallucis)
Origin: The oblique head (caput obliquum) arises from the long plantar ligament, lateral
cuneiform bone, bases of the metatarsals 2-4, and cuboid bone
The transverse head (caput transversum) arises from metacarpophalangeal joints of the toes 3-5
Insertion: proximal phalanx of the great toe, lateral sesamoid bone
Function: adducts and flexes the great toe
Innervation: lateral plantar nerve
Blood supply: deep plantar arch, plantar metatarsal arteries
(musculus flexor hallucis brevis)
Origin: medial cuneiform bone, long plantar ligament, cuboid bone
Insertion: proximal phalanx of the great toe
Function: flexes the great toe
Innervation: lateral plantar nerve, medial plantar nerve
Blood supply: medial plantar artery, deep plantar arterial arch
(m. flexor digitorum brevis)
Origin: calcaneal tuberosity, plantar aponeurosis
Insertion: Middle phalanges of the toes 2-5 (bilaterally)
Function: flexes the toes 2-5
Innervation: medial plantar nerve
Blood supply: medial and lateral plantar arteries
(m. quadratus plantae)
Origin: calcaneal tuberosity
Insert: tendon of the flexor digitorum longus muscle
Function: flexes the toes 2-5
Innervation: lateral plantar nerve
Blood supply: lateral plantar artery
(musculi interossei plantares)
Origin: medial sides of the metatarsals 3-5
Insertion: medial surface of the proximal phalanges of the toes 3, 4 and 5
Function: adduct the toes 3-5 to the toe 2 and flex their proximal phalanges
Innervation: lateral plantar nerve
Blood supply: deep plantar arch, plantar metatarsal arteries
(musculi interossei dorsales)
Origin: the surfaces of adjacent metatarsals facing each other
Insertion: base of the proximal phalanges of the toes 2-4 and the corresponding tendon of the extensor digitorum longus muscle. The first interosseous muscle inserts into the medial side of the second toe, and the other three to the lateral side of the toes 2, 3, and 4, respectively.
Function: the first interosseous muscle abducts the second toe from the median line of the foot passing along the second toe The remaining three muscles abduct the corresponding toes to the lateral side, bringing them closer to the little toe, and flex the proximal phalanges of the toes 2-4
Innervation: lateral plantar nerve
Blood supply: deep plantar arch, plantar metatarsal arteries
(musculi lumbricales)
Origin: tendon of the flexor digitorum longus muscle
Insertion: each lumbrical continues into the tendon, which inserts into the medial border of the proximal phalanx and weaves into the dorsal aponeurosis of the corresponding toe
Function: they flex the proximal phalanges and extend the middle and distal phalanges
Innervation: lateral and medial plantar nerves
Blood supply: medial and lateral plantar arteries
(musculus abductor digiti minimi pedis)
Origin: calcaneal tuberosity, plantar aponeurosis
Insertion: proximal phalanx of the little toe
Function: abducts and flexes the proximal phalanx of the little toe
Innervation: lateral plantar nerve
Blood supply: lateral plantar artery
(musculus flexor digiti minimi)
Origin: fifth metatarsal, long plantar ligament
Insertion: proximal phalanx of the little toe
Function: flexes the little toe
Innervation: lateral plantar nerve
Blood supply: lateral plantar artery
(musculus opponens digiti minimi)
Origin: base of the fifth metatarsal, long plantar ligament
Insertion: lateral border of the fifth metatarsal
Function: opposes the little toe to the great toe
Innervation: lateral plantar nerve
Blood supply: lateral plantar artery
Muscles of the foot
- gluteal region
- regio glutealis
- femoral region
- regio femoralis
- knee region
- regio genus
- leg region
- regio cruralis
- ankle region
- regio talocruralis
- foot region
- regio pedis
- extensor digitorum brevis muscle
- musculus extensor digitorum brevis
- extensor hallucis brevis muscle
- musculus extensor hallucis brevis
- abductor hallucis muscle
- musculus abductor hallucis
- adductor hallucis muscle
- musculus adductor hallucis
- flexor hallucis brevis muscle
- musculus flexor hallucis brevis
- flexor digitorum brevis muscles
- m. flexor digitorum brevis
- quadratus plantae muscle
- m. quadratus plantae
- plantar interossei muscles
- musculi interossei plantares
- dorsal interossei muscles
- musculi interossei dorsales
- lumbrical muscles
- musculi lumbricales
- abductor digiti minimi muscle
- musculus abductor digiti minimi pedis
- flexor digiti minimi muscle
- musculus flexor digiti minimi
- opponens digiti minimi muscle
- musculus opponens digiti minimi
- oblique head
- caput obliquum
- transverse head
- caput transversum
