| Abductor digiti minimi muscle of foot | |
|---|---|
| Muscles of the sole of the foot. First layer. (Abductor digiti quinti visible at center right.) | |
| The plantar arteries. Superficial view. (Abductor quinti digiti visible at center right.) | |
| Latin | musculus abductor digiti minimi pedis |
| Gray's | subject #131 492 |
| Origin | Plantar aponeurosis |
| Insertion | Fifth toe or Phalanges |
| Artery | lateral plantar artery |
| Nerve | lateral plantar nerve |
| Actions | flex and abduct the fifth toe |
| Antagonist | Flexor digiti minimi brevis muscle |
The Abductor digiti minimi (Abductor minimi digiti, Abductor digiti quinti) is a muscle which lies along the lateral border of the foot, and is in relation by its medial margin with the lateral plantar vessels and nerves.
It arises, by a broad origin, from the lateral process of the tuberosity of the calcaneus, from the under surface of the calcaneus between the two processes of the tuberosity, from the forepart of the medial process, from the plantar aponeurosis, and from the intermuscular septum between it and the Flexor digitorum brevis.
Its tendon, after gliding over a smooth facet on the under surface of the base of the fifth metatarsal bone, is inserted, with the Flexor digiti quinti brevis, into the fibular side of the base of the first phalanx of the fifth toe.
Its function is to flex and abduct the fifth (little) toe.
Due to its role in posture during all physical activity whlie in an upright position, the abductor digiti minimi is often the target of injury. The most common of such injuries occurs mainly in women and is referred to as orteil de belette, commonly known as Weasel Toe.
In case of polydactyly it may insert to the sixth toe instead, if there is one.
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.
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