Quick Facts
Origin: Medial process of calcaneal tuberosity and plantar aponeurosis.
Insertion: Plantar aspects of bodies of middle phalanges of the second, third, fourth and little toes.
Action: Flexes second, third, fourth, and little toes.
Innervation: Medial plantar nerve (S1-S3).
Arterial Supply: Medial and lateral plantar, plantar metatarsal, and proper plantar digital arteries.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The flexor digitorum brevis muscle originates from the:
- medial process of the calcaneal tuberosity;
- plantar aponeurosis;
- adjacent intermuscular septa.
Insertion
The fibers of the flexor digitorum brevis muscle travel anteriorly and insert, via four separate tendons, onto the plantar aspects of the bodies of the middle phalanges of the second, third, fourth, and little toes.
Key Features & Anatomical Relations
The flexor digitorum brevis muscle is located in the first layer of muscles that are found in the plantar part of the foot. It is a short, broad, fusiform type of skeletal muscle that divides into four tendons. Within the plantar part of the foot, each tendon travels superficial to the tendons of the flexor digitorum longus muscle. The tendons of both muscles travel through the fibrous sheaths that are found along the plantar aspects of the second, third, fourth and little toes. Along each proximal phalanx, the tendons of the flexor digitorum longus pass through the tendons of the flexor digitorum brevis, and then travel to their insertion sites.
The flexor digitorum brevis muscle is located:
- superficial (inferior) to the quadratus plantae muscle, the tendons of the flexor digitorum longus muscle, the lateral plantar vessels, and the lateral plantar nerve;
- deep (superior) to the plantar aponeurosis;
- medial to the abductor digiti minimi muscle of foot;
- lateral to the abductor hallucis muscle.
Actions
The flexor digitorum brevis muscle is involved in multiple actions:
- flexes the middle phalanges at the proximal interphalangeal joints of the second, third, fourth and little toes;
- flexes the proximal phalanges at the metatarsophalangeal joints of the same toes (Sinnatamby, 2011).
References
Sinnatamby, C. S. (2011) Last's Anatomy: Regional and Applied. ClinicalKey 2012: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier.
Actions
The flexor digitorum brevis muscle is involved in multiple actions:
- flexes the middle phalanges at the proximal interphalangeal joints of the second, third, fourth and little toes;
- flexes the proximal phalanges at the metatarsophalangeal joints of the same toes (Sinnatamby, 2011).
