Anatomy and Cell Biology

Korean Association of Anatomists (대한해부학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Separated muscle belly of the flexor digitorum brevis for the fifth toe: a case report

  • Hyun Jin Park (Department of Anatomy, Daegu Catholic University School of Medicine) ;
  • Jae Wook Baeg (Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Kyungpook National University Hospital) ;
  • Mi-Sun Hur (Department of Anatomy, Daegu Catholic University School of Medicine)
  • Received : 2023.04.05
  • Accepted : 2023.05.24
  • Published : 2023.09.30
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

This case report describes a variation of the flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) with a separated muscle belly and tendon at the fifth toe. The narrow tendon and muscle belly for the fifth toe arose from the intermuscular septum between the FDB and abductor digiti minimi adjacent to the arising fibers of the FDB, separating from its other fibers. The tendon and muscle belly for the fifth toe became wider at the base of the metatarsal bones and narrower as it coursed toward the toes in a fusiform shape. The tendon and muscle belly for the fifth toe became thin at the midfoot and coursed just beneath the flexor digitorum longus tendon and entered the digital tendinous sheath. FDB variations including that described herein should be considered when performing various surgical procedures and evaluating the biomechanics of the foot.

Keywords

References

  1. Farris DJ, Kelly LA, Cresswell AG, Lichtwark GA. The functional importance of human foot muscles for bipedal locomotion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019;116:1645-50. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1812820116
  2. Lobo SW, Menezes RG, Mamata S, Baral P, Hunnargi SA, Kanchan T, Bodhe AV, Bhat NB. Phylogenetic variation in flexor digitorum brevis: a Nepalese cadaveric study. Nepal Med Coll J 2008;10:230-2.
  3. Yammine K. The fourth slip of the flexor digitorum brevis muscle of the human foot. A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ital J Anat Embryol 2015;120:59-70.
  4. Standring S. Gray's anatomy: the anatomical basis of clinical practice. 42nd ed. Elsevier; 2020.
  5. Tubbs RS, Shoja MM, Loukas M. Bergman's comprehensive encyclopedia of human anatomic variation. Wiley-Blackwell; 2016.
  6. Rosse C, Gaddum-Rosse P. Hollinshead's textbook of anatomy. 5th ed. Lippincott-Raven; 1997.
  7. Grogono BJ, Jowsey J. Flexor accessoreus longus: an unusual muscle anomaly. J Bone Joint Surg Br 1965;47:118-9. https://doi.org/10.1302/0301-620X.47B1.118
  8. Kelly LA, Cresswell AG, Racinais S, Whiteley R, Lichtwark G. Intrinsic foot muscles have the capacity to control deformation of the longitudinal arch. J R Soc Interface 2014;11:20131188.
  9. Smith RE, Lichtwark GA, Kelly LA. Flexor digitorum brevis utilizes elastic strain energy to contribute to both work generation and energy absorption at the foot. J Exp Biol 2022;225:jeb243792.
  10. Ikuta Y, Murakami T, Yoshioka K, Tsuge K. Reconstruction of the heel pad by flexor digitorum brevis musculocutaneous flap transfer. Plast Reconstr Surg 1984;74:86-96. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006534-198407000-00012
  11. Yalcin B, Ozan H. Some variations of the musculus flexor digitorum brevis. Anat Sci Int 2005;80:189-92. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1447-073X.2005.00112.x
  12. Bernhard A, Miller J, Keeler J, Siesel K, Bridges E. Absence of the fourth tendon of the flexor digitorum brevis muscle: a cadaveric study. Foot Ankle Spec 2013;6:286-9. https://doi.org/10.1177/1938640013489342
  13. Quinones-Rodriguez JI, Mantilla-Rosa C, Rodriguez F, Villamil CI, Fernandez J, Gonzalez-Sola M, Torres-Toro C, Rosario MG. A missing flexor digitorum brevis tendon and its relationship to sex and ancestry: evaluation in Hispanic population. Anatomia 2022;1:210-6. https://doi.org/10.3390/anatomia1020021
  14. Ilayperuma I. On the variations of the muscle flexor digitorum brevis: anatomical insight. Int J Morphol 2012;30:337-40. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0717-95022012000100059
  15. Stimec BV, Dash J, Assal M, Stern R, Fasel JHD. Additional muscular slip of the flexor digitorum longus muscle to the fifth toe. Surg Radiol Anat 2018;40:533-5. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-018-1991-7