Lumbricals of the foot

Four small skeletal muscles

For the muscle of the hand, see Lumbrical muscle (hand).

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Lumbrical muscle of the foot

Muscles of the sole of the right foot, viewed from below. Second layer. (Lumbricals visible at bottom.)

Details
Origin| Medial borders of long flexor tendons
Insertion| Proximal phalanges and extensor tendons of the 4 lateral toes
Artery| Medial and lateral plantar arteries
Nerve| Medial and lateral plantar nerves (S3)
Actions| Flexes metatarsophalangeal joints, extends interphalangeal joints
Identifiers
Latin| musculus lumbricalis pedis
TA98| A04.7.02.069
TA2| 2685
FMA| 37453
Anatomical terms of muscle

[edit on Wikidata]

The lumbricals are four small skeletal muscles, accessory to the tendons of the flexor digitorum longus muscle. They are numbered from the medial side of the foot.[1]

## Structure

[edit]

The lumbricals arise from the tendons of the flexor digitorum longus muscle,[1] as far back as their angles of division, each springing from two tendons, except the first. The first lumbrical is unipennate, while the second, third and fourth are bipennate.

The muscles end in tendons, which pass forward on the medial sides of the four lesser toes, and are inserted into the expansions of the tendons of the extensor digitorum longus muscle on the dorsal surfaces of the proximal phalanges.[1] All four lumbricals insert into extensor hoods of the phalanges, thus creating extension at the inter-phalangeal (PIP and DIP) joints. However, as the tendons also pass inferior to the metatarsal phalangeal (MTP) joints it creates flexion at this joint.

### Innervation

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The most medial lumbrical is innervated by the medial plantar nerve while the remaining three lumbricals are supplied by the lateral plantar nerve.

### Variation

[edit]

Absence of one or more; doubling of the third or fourth even the fifth. Insertion partly or wholly into the first phalanges.

## History

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The term "lumbrical" comes from the Latin, meaning "worm".[1]

## Additional images

[edit]

* The lumbricals of the foot flex the metatarsophalangeal joints and extend the interphalangeal joints.

## References

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This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 493 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

1. ^ a b c d Bozer, Cüneyt; Uzmansel, Deniz; Dönmez, Didem; Parlak, Muhammed; Beger, Orhan; Elvan, Özlem (2018-12-01). "The effects of the communicating branch between medial and lateral plantar nerves on the innervations of the foot lumbrical muscles". Journal of the Anatomical Society of India. 67 (2): 130–132\. doi:10.1016/j.jasi.2018.11.006. ISSN 0003-2778. S2CID 81678124.130-132&rft.date=2018-12-01&rft_id=https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:81678124#id-name=S2CID&rft.issn=0003-2778&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016/j.jasi.2018.11.006&rft.aulast=Bozer&rft.aufirst=Cüneyt&rft.au=Uzmansel,+Deniz&rft.au=Dönmez,+Didem&rft.au=Parlak,+Muhammed&rft.au=Beger,+Orhan&rft.au=Elvan,+Özlem&rft_id=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000327781730624X&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Lumbricals+of+the+foot" class="Z3988">

## External links

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* PTCentral

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Muscles of the hip and human leg

Iliac region|

* Iliopsoas
* Psoas major/Psoas minor
* Iliacus

Buttocks|

* Gluteal muscles
* Maximus
* Medius
* Minimus
* Tensor fasciae latae

Lateral rotator group:|

* Quadratus femoris
* Inferior gemellus
* Superior gemellus
* Internal obturator
* External obturator
* Piriformis

Thigh /
compartments|

| Anterior|

* Sartorius
* Quadriceps
* Rectus femoris
* Vastus lateralis
* Vastus intermedius
* Vastus medialis
* Articularis genus

|

Posterior|

* Hamstring
* Biceps femoris
* Semitendinosus
* Semimembranosus

Medial|

* Pectineus
* External obturator
* Gracilis
* Adductor
* Longus
* Brevis
* Magnus
* Minimus

Fascia|

* Femoral sheath
* Femoral canal
* Femoral ring
* Adductor canal
* Adductor hiatus
* Muscular lacuna

Fascia lata|

*     * Iliotibial tract
* Lateral intermuscular septum of thigh
* Medial intermuscular septum of thigh
* Cribriform fascia

Leg/
compartments|

| Anterior|

* Tibialis anterior
* Extensor hallucis longus
* Extensor digitorum longus
* Fibularis (peroneus) tertius

|

Posterior|

| Superficial|

* Triceps surae
* Gastrocnemius
* Soleus
* Accessory soleus
* Achilles tendon
* Plantaris

|

Deep|

* tarsal tunnel
* Flexor hallucis longus
* Flexor digitorum longus
* Tibialis posterior
* Popliteus

Lateral|

* Fibularis (peroneus) muscles
* Longus
* Brevis

Fascia|

* Pes anserinus

Intermuscular septa|

* Anterior
* Posterior
* Transverse

Foot|

| Dorsal|

* Extensor hallucis brevis
* Extensor digitorum brevis

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Plantar|

* 1st layer
* Abductor hallucis
* Flexor digitorum brevis
* Abductor digiti minimi
* 2nd layer
* Quadratus plantae
* Lumbrical muscle
* 3rd layer
* Flexor hallucis brevis
* Adductor hallucis
* Flexor digiti minimi brevis
* 4th layer
* Dorsal interossei
* Plantar interossei

Fascia|

* Plantar fascia
* retinacula
* Peroneal
* Inferior extensor
* Superior extensor
* Flexor

Portal:

* Anatomy

Authority control databases |

* Terminologia Anatomica

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