Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The relationships between the quadratus plantae and the flexor digitorum longus and the flexor hallucis longus

  • Anatomic Variations
  • Published:
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research was to clarify the relationships between quadratus plantae (QP) and flexor digitorum longus (FDL) and flexor hallucis longus (FHL) using large-scale specimens.

Methods

This study examined 116 legs from 62 Japanese cadavers. The QP was classified as: Type I, formed by the lateral and medial heads; Type II, the lateral head is absent; and Type III, the medial head is absent. The FHL branches to the lesser toes were classified as: Type A, connection from FHL to toe 2; Type B, connection from FHL to toes 2 and 3; Type C, connection from FHL to toes 2–4. Next, the relationships between QP and FHL and FDL were observed.

Results

Type I accounted for 87%, Type II for 10%, and Type III for 3%. Type A accounted for 33%, Type B for 53%, and Type C for 14%. Regarding the relationship between QP and FDL, regardless of the classification of the connections of the FHL tendon slip to the lesser toes, QP attachments to FDL branching to toes 2, 3, and 4 were seen in 47–59%. Furthermore, QP attachments to FDL branching to toes 2, 3, 4, and 5 were seen in 41–47%.

Conclusions

QP appears to function strongly to counter the oblique pull of FDL and FHL and as a lesser digit plantar flexor.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Athavale SA, Geetha GN, Swathi (2012) Morphology of flexor digitorum accessorius muscle. Surg Radiol Anat 34:367–372

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Deriver JR, Denison AB (1914) The morphology of the long accessorius muscle. Anat Record 8:341

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Edama M, Kubo M, Onishi H, Takabayashi T, Yokoyama E, Inai T, Watanabe H, Nashimoto S, Kageyama I (2016) Anatomical study of toe flexion by flexor hallucis longus. Ann Anat 204:80–85

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Henle J (1871) Handbuch der Muskellehre des Menschen. Handbuch der systematischen Anatomie des Menschen. 2nd ed. Friedrich Vieweg und Söhne Braunschweig 1–338

  5. Hollinshead WH (1958) The back and limbs. Hoeber-Harper. Anat Surg 3 xii:869

    Google Scholar 

  6. Hur MS, Kim JH, Woo JS, Choi BY, Kim HJ, Lee KS (2011) An anatomic study of the quadratus plantae in relation to tendinous slips of the flexor hallucis longus for gait analysis. Clin Anat 24:768–773

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Kaplan EB (1959) Morphology and function of the muscle quadratus plantae. Bull Hosp Joint Dis 20:84–95

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Pretterklieber B (2018) Morphological characteristics and variations of the human quadratus plantae muscle. Ann Anat 216:9–22

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Reeser LA, Susman RL, Stern JT Jr (1983) Electromyographic studies of the human foot: experimental approaches to hominid evolution. Foot Ankle 3:391–407

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Thomas P, Hazif-Thomas C (2018) The adaptation of society to ageing today. Soins Gerontol 23:21–24

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge and thank those anonymous individuals who generously donated their bodies so that this study could be performed. This study was supported by a Research Activity Young B Grant (17K13072) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and a Grant-in-Aid program from Niigata University of Health and Welfare (H30B05).

Funding

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, 1398 Shimami-cho, Kita-ku, Niigata, Niigata, 950-3198, Japan

    Mutsuaki Edama, Tomoya Takabayashi, Takuma Inai, Takanori Kikumoto, Ryo Hirabayashi, Wataru Ito, Emi Nakamura, Masahiro Ikezu & Fumiya Kaneko

  2. Department of Anatomy, School of Life Dentistry at Niigata, Nippon Dental University, Niigata, Japan

    Mutsuaki Edama & Ikuo Kageyama

Authors
  1. Mutsuaki Edama
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tomoya Takabayashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Takuma Inai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Takanori Kikumoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ryo Hirabayashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Wataru Ito
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Emi Nakamura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Masahiro Ikezu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Fumiya Kaneko
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Ikuo Kageyama
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

ME and TT contributed to study design and data collection, and drafted the manuscript; TI and TK contributed to data analysis and made critical revisions to the manuscript; WI, EN, RH, MI, and FK made critical revisions to the manuscript; IK supervised the study, contributed to analysis and interpretation of data, and made critical revisions to the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript prior to submission.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mutsuaki Edama.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Availability of data and material

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Ethical approval

The methods were carried out in accordance with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki, and the cadavers were legally donated for the research by the Nippon Dental University of Life Dentistry at Niigata in Japan.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from the families of all subjects.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Edama, M., Takabayashi, T., Inai, T. et al. The relationships between the quadratus plantae and the flexor digitorum longus and the flexor hallucis longus. Surg Radiol Anat 41, 689–692 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-019-02240-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-019-02240-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation