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The human leg is made up of an intricate system of muscles that enable movement and give shape to the foot and toes. The muscles that control the toes can be divided into two groups: extrinsic and intrinsic muscles. The extrinsic muscles are located in the anterior, lateral, and posterior compartments of the leg. The anterior compartment includes muscles that contribute to the dorsiflexion of the foot, such as the tibialis anterior, extensor hallucis longus, and extensor digitorum longus, which extends the toes. The extensor digitorum brevis is an intrinsic muscle that extends toes 2-4, while the flexor digitorum brevis flexes the lateral four toes. The flexor hallucis longus and flexor digitorum longus flex the great toe and other toes, respectively.
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Extensor muscles
The extensor muscles are responsible for extending the toes. There are three extensor muscles in the foot: the extensor digitorum longus, the extensor hallucis longus, and the extensor digitorum brevis.
The extensor digitorum longus is a deep-lying extrinsic muscle that runs down the length of the tibia. It originates from the tibia and transitions into a tendon, passing into the foot and attaching to the toes. This muscle is responsible for extending the four lesser toes (toes 2-5).
The extensor hallucis longus is a thin, deep-lying extrinsic muscle that lies beneath the extensor digitorum longus. It originates from the fibula and attaches to the big toe. This muscle is responsible for extending the big toe and dorsiflecting the foot. It also assists with foot eversion and inversion.
The extensor digitorum brevis is a deep-lying intrinsic muscle lying beneath the tendon of the extensor digitorum longus. It originates from the heel and attaches to the toes. This muscle helps to extend the toes.
These extensor muscles play an important role in various activities such as walking, running, and jumping by aiding in toe extension and foot dorsiflexion.
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Intrinsic muscles
The muscles in the human foot are responsible for enabling movement and giving the foot its shape. The toes have flexor and extensor muscles that power their movement and play a significant role in balance. The muscles that control the toes can be divided into two groups: extrinsic and intrinsic muscles.
The intrinsic muscles of the foot are located within the foot and play a crucial role in providing stability, balance, and control during movement. These muscles originate and insert on various bones and joints within the foot. The intrinsic muscles can be divided into several layers based on their location within the foot.
The first layer of intrinsic muscles includes the abductor hallucis, flexor digitorum brevis, abductor digiti minimi, and the quadratus plantae. These muscles primarily maintain the foot's arches, support the toes, and control toe movement. The abductor hallucis muscle, located on the medial side of the sole, abducts and flexes the big toe. The flexor digitorum brevis muscle, situated in the centre of the sole, flexes the lateral four toes at the proximal interphalangeal joints. The abductor digiti minimi muscle, located on the lateral side of the foot, abducts and flexes the fifth digit (pinky toe). The quadratus plantae is a flat, square-shaped muscle that assists the flexor digitorum longus in flexing the lateral four toes.
The second layer of intrinsic muscles includes the lumbricals and the flexor hallucis brevis, which aid in flexing the toes, maintaining balance, and assisting in walking and running. The flexor hallucis brevis muscle, located on the medial side of the foot, flexes the great toe at the metatarsophalangeal joint. The lumbricals are located medial to their respective tendon of the flexor digitorum longus and assist in controlling toe movement.
The final layer of intrinsic muscles contains the interossei muscles, both dorsal and plantar. These muscles stabilize the toes, allowing for proper grip and control during activities such as walking, running, and jumping. The dorsal interossei abduct digits 2-4 and flex those toes. The plantar interossei flex the second to fourth toes and play a key role in stabilizing the arch of the foot, providing the necessary strength and fine movements to maintain balance and posture.
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Flexor muscles
The muscles in the foot can be divided into two groups: extrinsic and intrinsic muscles. The intrinsic muscles are further divided into four layers, with the first layer being closest to the sole of the foot. The flexor muscles of the toes are spread across these layers.
The flexor digitorum brevis is located in the first layer, in the centre of the sole of the foot. It originates from the medial tubercle of the calcaneus and the plantar aponeurosis and attaches to the middle phalanges of the lateral four digits. It is responsible for the flexion of the lateral four toes at the proximal interphalangeal joints.
The flexor hallucis brevis is located in the second layer. It is found on the medial side of the foot and has two heads of origin. The medial head originates from the tendon of the posterior tibialis tendon, and the fibres converge into a single muscle belly, which attaches to the base of the proximal phalanx of the great toe. It is responsible for the flexion of the great toe at the metatarsophalangeal joint.
The flexor digitorum longus is an extrinsic muscle that travels through the second layer. It arises from the posterior surface of the tibia and is responsible for flexing the second, third, fourth, and fifth toes.
The flexor digiti minimi brevis is located in the third layer. It is found on the lateral side of the foot, underneath the metatarsal of the little toe. It originates from the base of the fifth metatarsal and attaches to the base of the proximal phalanx of the fifth digit. It is responsible for the flexion of the little toe at the metatarsophalangeal joint.
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Abductor muscles
The abductor hallucis muscle is an intrinsic muscle of the foot that is involved in the abduction and flexion of the big toe. It is located in the medial border of the foot and contributes to the formation of the prominence observed in this region. The abductor hallucis is a small but powerful muscle with three origin points and one insertion point. It originates from the medial process of the calcaneal tuberosity, plantar aponeurosis, and the superficial layer of flexor retinaculum. The muscle fibres then run anteriorly and medially, forming a tendon at the level of the body of the first metatarsal bone. This tendon travels along the medial border of the first metatarsophalangeal joint to insert into the base of the proximal phalanx of the big toe.
The abductor hallucis muscle plays a crucial role in maintaining the stability of the foot during walking by preserving the central position of the big toe. This action helps to prevent deformities of the toes, such as hallux valgus. Additionally, the abductor hallucis aids in maintaining the medial longitudinal arch of the foot while walking. The blood supply to this muscle comes from two arteries: the medial plantar artery (a branch of the posterior tibial artery) and the first plantar metatarsal artery (a branch of the lateral plantar artery).
The abductor digiti minimi muscle is another abductor muscle located on the lateral side of the foot. It is responsible for the abduction and flexion of the fifth digit (pinky toe). This muscle originates from the medial and lateral tubercles of the calcaneus and the plantar aponeurosis. It then attaches to the lateral base of the proximal phalanx of the fifth digit.
Gentle exercises can be performed to relieve strain on the abductor hallucis muscle. One such exercise involves sitting down, crossing your legs, and gently stretching your big toe upwards for 20 seconds. This can be repeated a few times with short relaxation breaks in between. Another option is to use a small ball, such as a tennis ball, to aid in the stretching.
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Adductor muscles
The adductor hallucis muscle is located in the third layer of plantar foot muscles, along with the flexor hallucis brevis and flexor digiti minimi brevis. The function of the adductor hallucis is to facilitate walking by adducting and flexing the big toe (hallux). It also plays a role in maintaining the transverse and longitudinal arches of the foot.
The adductor hallucis arises from two heads: the oblique and the transverse. They originate from different sources but share a common insertion. The oblique head consists of lateral and medial parts that originate from the bases of the metatarsal bones, cuboid, and lateral cuneiform bones, and the tendon of fibularis longus. The medial part blends with the tendon of the flexor hallucis brevis on the lateral sesamoid bone of the great toe. The transverse head originates as three bands from the plantar metatarsophalangeal ligaments of toes 3-5 and deep transverse metatarsal ligaments located between the respective toes. The bands fuse into a unique muscle belly that inserts, along with the oblique head, into the lateral surface of the base of the proximal phalanx of the great toe.
The adductor hallucis is innervated by the deep branch of the lateral plantar nerve (S2, S3), which stems from the tibial nerve. The main vascular source for this muscle is the posterior tibial artery and its branches.
The adductor hallucis plays an important role in the terminal stance phase of the gait cycle. By flexing and adducting the big toe, it reinforces the forefoot as the centre of gravity for body weight before the heel lifts up. Additionally, due to the horizontal position of its transverse head, it stabilizes the foot arches and fixes the forefoot.
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Frequently asked questions
The abductor hallucis, flexor hallucis brevis, adductor hallucis, and extensor hallucis brevis muscles control the big toe.
The flexor digitorum brevis, extensor digitorum brevis, and extensor digitorum longus muscles control the lateral four toes. The flexor digiti minimi brevis and abductor digiti minimi muscles control the little toe.
The muscles acting on the foot can be divided into two groups: extrinsic and intrinsic muscles. The extrinsic muscles are located in the anterior, lateral, and posterior compartments of the leg. The intrinsic muscles are located within the foot and play a key role in providing stability, balance, and control during movement.
Some examples of extrinsic muscles include the extensor digitorum longus, extensor hallucis longus, fibularis longus, fibularis brevis, and tibialis anterior.
