Anatomical variation of the flexor digitorum brevis muscle revisited: a case report from South Indian population

We observed a variation in the flexor digitorum brevis muscle of a 50-year-old female cadaver in our routine dissection. In the sole of right foot, we found that flexor digitorum brevis was giving only three tendons for middle three toes. The tendon of flexor digitorum brevis for the little toe was missing. The absent 4th tendon of the flexor digitorum brevis to little toe in the right foot was replaced by an isolated flexor muscle arising from the medial margin of the tendinous plate of the flexor digitorum brevis. The tendon of isolated flexor muscles inserted in to base of distal phalanx of the little toe. Variation of the flexor digitorum brevis may be important to plastic surgeons because of reconstruction of the heel pad by flexor digitorum brevis musculocutaneous flap transfer.