Dominic Stone
The human foot contains a large number of small muscles, which are collectively referred to as the intrinsic muscles of the foot. These muscles are entirely contained within the foot and help to move the toes and stabilise the foot. The toes themselves contain bones and joints, but no muscles.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of muscles in the foot | 10 |
| Number of phalange bones in each toe | 3 |
| Number of phalange bones in the big toe | 2 |
| Number of joints in each toe | 2 |
| Number of joints in the big toe | 2 |
| Number of sesamoid bones in the big toe | 2 |
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What You'll Learn
- The extensor digitorum brevis muscle helps extend the lateral four toes
- The extensor hallucis brevis helps extend the big toe
- The flexor hallucis brevis helps flex the big toe
- The flexor digitorum brevis helps flex the four lesser toes
- Sesamoid bones are two tiny, round bones that enable the big toe to move up and down
The extensor digitorum brevis muscle helps extend the lateral four toes
Yes, toes have muscles. The extensor digitorum brevis muscle is a small muscle on the upper surface of the foot that helps extend digits 2 through 4. The muscle originates from the forepart of the upper and lateral surface of the calcaneus, from the interosseous talocalcaneal ligament and the stem of the inferior extensor retinaculum. The fibres pass obliquely forwards and medially across the dorsum of the foot and end in four tendons. The extensor digitorum brevis is richly vascularised, receiving blood supply from the anterior perforating branch of the fibular artery and the anterior lateral malleolar artery, a branch of the anterior tibial artery.
The extensor digitorum brevis is sometimes referred to as EDB, which stands for extensor digitorum brevis. The literal meaning of this is 'short toe extender', perfectly describing its purpose. The extensor digitorum brevis can act as a trigger point for foot pain, which may be linked to poor footwear choices or frequent walking and running on uneven surfaces.
The extensor digitorum brevis is one of only two muscles located on the dorsal aspect (top) of the foot. The other is the extensor hallucis brevis, which is often considered to be the medial part of the extensor digitorum brevis muscle, rather than a separate structure. The extensor hallucis brevis ends in a tendon which crosses the dorsalis pedis artery and inserts into the dorsal surface of the base of the proximal phalanx of the great toe.
The extensor digitorum brevis and the extensor hallucis brevis work together to extend the lateral four toes. The extensor digitorum brevis projects anteriorly to the lateral malleolus and passes over the lateral aspect of the calcaneocuboid joint. It continues anteriorly and inserts on the tendons of extensor digitorum longus of the second, third and fourth toes. As a result, these muscles work in unison to extend the corresponding digits of the foot.
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The extensor hallucis brevis helps extend the big toe
The toes do have muscles, and there are a large number of smaller muscles deep inside the foot. Collectively, they are referred to as the intrinsic muscles of the foot because they are entirely contained within the foot.
The extensor hallucis brevis is an intrinsic muscle of the foot. It is often considered to be the medial part of the extensor digitorum brevis muscle, rather than a separate structure. It originates from the calcaneus and inferior extensor retinaculum. It attaches to the base of the proximal phalanx of the great toe.
The extensor hallucis brevis is one of the muscles of the dorsum of the foot. It is superior (superficial) to the cuboid, lateral cuneiform and medial cuneiform bones, the first metatarsal bone, the dorsalis pedis artery, and the deep fibular nerve. It is inferior (deep) to the tendons of the extensor digitorum longus and fibularis tertius muscles.
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The flexor hallucis brevis helps flex the big toe
Yes, toes have muscles. Each toe has three phalange bones and two joints, while the big toe contains two phalange bones, two joints, and two tiny, round sesamoid bones that enable the toe to move up and down.
The flexor hallucis brevis is a muscle that helps flex the big toe. It is composed of a medial and lateral muscle belly whose tendons attach at the proximal phalanx of the great toe (hallux). At these attachment points, two sesamoid bones develop, embedded in the tendons on each side. The muscle's main function is to flex the great toe at the metatarsophalangeal joint. It also plays a role in maintaining the medial longitudinal arch of the foot.
The flexor hallucis brevis is located deep in the plantar arch of the foot and is considered one of the intrinsic muscles of the foot. It assists the flexor hallucis longus in the toe-off phase of locomotion, increasing the final push-off from the ground during activities such as walking, running and jumping. The fact that the flexor hallucis brevis tendons blend with the adductor hallucis and abductor hallucis signifies its importance in providing stability to the great toe during these activities, ensuring maximum force translation during the thrust phase.
The flexor hallucis brevis is also involved in maintaining the medial longitudinal arch of the foot. It acts as a bowstring between the proximal phalanx of the hallux and tarsal bones. Dysfunction of the flexor hallucis brevis can result in pain in the ball of the foot when extending the big toe, difficulty and pain during gait, and toe deformities.
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The flexor digitorum brevis helps flex the four lesser toes
Yes, toes have muscles. There are a large number of smaller muscles deep inside the foot that help move the toes and stabilise the foot. These are referred to as the intrinsic muscles of the foot because they are entirely contained within the foot.
The flexor digitorum brevis is a muscle of the middle part of the sole of the foot that helps flex the second phalanx of each of the four small toes. It originates from three sites: the medial process of calcaneal tuberosity, plantar aponeurosis and intermuscular septum. Its large muscle belly spans across the medial side of the plantar aspect of the foot. Approximately halfway across the sole of the foot, the muscle fibres divide into four slits, each of them giving off its own tendon for one of the lateral four toes. The flexor digitorum brevis is also in charge of toe flexion at the metatarsophalangeal joints of the lateral four digits. It supports the longitudinal arch of the foot while propelling the body forward during gait.
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Sesamoid bones are two tiny, round bones that enable the big toe to move up and down
The toes are moved by muscles that are located deep inside the foot. These are known as the intrinsic muscles of the foot. Only two of these muscles are located on the top of the foot: the extensor hallucis brevis and the extensor digitorum brevis. The extensor digitorum brevis is a small, thin muscle which lies underneath the long extensor tendons of the foot.
The big toe contains two phalange bones, two joints, and two tiny, round sesamoid bones that enable the toe to move up and down. Sesamoid bones are bones that develop inside of a tendon over a bony prominence. They act like pulleys, providing a smooth surface for the tendons to slide over, increasing the ability of the tendons to transmit muscle forces. The sesamoids in the forefoot also assist with weight-bearing and help elevate the bones of the big toe.
The two sesamoid bones are located under the big toe joint on the plantar (bottom) surface of the foot. They are oval-shaped and are about 1 x 1.5cm in size. The big toe flexor tendons are attached to both of these sesamoid bones. They act in a similar way to the knee cap, helping to straighten the big toe. To achieve this, the sesamoid bones have to be very smooth, allowing them to glide over the head of the first metatarsal bone. They are covered with a layer of articular cartilage to help with this.
Sesamoid bones are routinely put under a lot of stress as they transmit a great deal of force on the foot when walking. They are prone to avascular necrosis (bone death from lack of blood supply), which is very difficult to treat. They can also fracture due to an acute injury or repetitive stress (overuse).
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, there are a large number of smaller muscles deep inside the foot that help to move the toes.
There are ten intrinsic muscles located in the plantar aspect (sole) of the foot.
The two muscles on the top of the foot are called the extensor hallucis brevis and the extensor digitorum brevis.
These muscles help to extend the toes.
