THE PLANTAR REGION 



543 



The small muscles of the great toe, the Abductor, Flexor brevis, Adductor obliquus, and 

 Adductor transversus, like the similar muscles of the thumb, give off fibrous expansions, at their 

 insertions, to blend with the long Extensor tendon. 



The Adductor transversus hallucis (caput transversum m. adductoris hallucis} 

 is a narrow, flat, muscular fasciculus, stretched transversely across the heads of 

 the metatarsal bones, between them and the Flexor tendons. It arises from the 

 inferior metatarsophalangeal ligaments of the three outer toes, sometimes only 

 from the third and fourth and from the transverse ligament of the metatarsus; 

 and is inserted into the outer side of the first phalanx of the great toe, its fibres 

 being blended with the tendon of insertion of the Adductor obliquus hallucis. 



The Flexor brevis minimi digiti ( m. flexor digiti quinti brevis) lies on the meta- 

 tarsal bone of the little toe, and much resembles one of the Interossei. It arises 

 from the base of the metatarsal bone of the little toe, and from the sheath of the 

 Peroneus longus; its tendon is inserted into the base of the first phalanx of the 

 little toe on its outer side. Occasionally some of the deeper fibres of the muscle 

 are inserted into the outer part of the distal half of the fifth metatarsal bone; 

 these are described by some as a distinct muscle, the Opponens minimi digiti. 



The Fourth Layer. 

 The Interossei. 



The Interossei muscles (mm. interossei) in the foot are similar to those in the 

 hand, with this exception, that they are grouped around the middle line of the 

 second digit, instead of the middle line of the third digit, as in the hand. They 

 are seven in number, and consists of two groups, Dorsal and Plantar. 



FIG. 401. The Dorsal interossei. Left foot. The FIG. 402. The Plantar interossei. Left foot. The 



line marked by an * is that from which abduction is line marked by an * ia that to which adduction is 

 performed. made. 



The Dorsal Interossei (m. interossei dorsales), four in number, are situated be- 

 tween the metatarsal bones. They are bipenniform muscles, arising by two heads 



