Quick Facts
Origin: Plantar ligaments of metatarsophalangeal joints and deep transverse metatarsal ligament.
Insertion: Lateral aspect of base of proximal phalanx of great toe.
Action: Adducts great toe at its metatarsophalangeal joint.
Innervation: Deep branch of lateral plantar nerve (S2-S3).
Arterial Supply: Medial and lateral plantar arteries, deep plantar arch, and plantar metatarsal arteries.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The transverse head of adductor hallucis muscle originates from the:
- plantar ligaments of the metatarsophalangeal joints of the third, fourth and little toes;
- adjacent deep transverse metatarsal ligament.
Insertion
The muscle bellies of the oblique and transverse heads of adductor hallucis travel anterolaterally and converge to a single tendon, which inserts onto the lateral aspect of the base of the proximal phalanx of the great toe.
Key Features & Anatomical Relations
Overall, the adductor hallucis muscle is located in the third layer of muscles that are found in the plantar part of the foot. It is a fan-shaped skeletal muscle and is composed of two heads, which are named based on the orientation of their muscle fibers:
- a large oblique head;
- a small transverse head.
The adductor hallucis muscle is located:
- superior to the first to third lumbrical muscles of foot and the tendons of the flexor digitorum longus and flexor digitorum brevis muscles;
- inferior to the second to fourth metatarsal bones, the first and second dorsal interossei and first and second plantar interossei muscles of the foot;
- lateral to the flexor hallucis brevis muscle.
Actions
Overall, the adductor hallucis muscle is involved in multiple actions:
- adducts the proximal phalanx of great toe (i.e., draws it towards the longitudinal axial line of the second toe) at the first metatarsophalangeal joint;
- helps stabilize the transverse arch of the foot (Sinnatamby, 2011).
List of Clinical Correlates
- Hallux valgus
References
Sinnatamby, C. S. (2011) Last's Anatomy: Regional and Applied. ClinicalKey 2012: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier.
