Abstract
BackgroundThe human quadratus plantae muscle has been attributed a variety of functions, however no consensus has been reached on its significance to foot functioning. The architecture of the human quadratus plantae consists of an evolutionarily conserved lateral head, and a medial head thought to be unique to Man. Surveys of human anatomy have demonstrated the absence of either the medial or lateral head in 20% of the population, which may have implications for foot functioning if each muscle head performs a discrete function.MethodsWe investigated the quadratus plantae from eleven formalin-embalmed specimens with a mean age of 84 ± 9 years. Immunohistochemical methods were used to determine the percentage of Type I and Type II muscle fibers in the medial and lateral heads of the quadratus plantae from these specimens.ResultsResults showed striking homogeneity in fiber type composition within an individual, with an average difference in Type I fiber content of 4.1% between lateral and medial heads. Between individuals, however, the ratio of fiber types within the quadratus plantae was highly variable, with Type I fiber percentages ranging from 19.1% to 91.6% in the lateral head, and 20.4% to 97.0% within the medial head.ConclusionsOur finding of similar fiber type composition of lateral and medial heads within an individual supports the hypothesis that the two heads have a singular function.
Highlights
The human quadratus plantae muscle has been attributed a variety of functions, no consensus has been reached on its significance to foot functioning
The quadratus plantae is a part of the plantar intrinsic foot muscle compartment, and is involved in stabilizing the foot during activities such as standing and walking [1,2]
The quadratus plantae has been implicated in heel pain [8], and may contribute to pathologies that feature weakening of the intrinsic foot muscles, such as in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease [9]
Summary
The human quadratus plantae muscle has been attributed a variety of functions, no consensus has been reached on its significance to foot functioning. The architecture of the human quadratus plantae consists of an evolutionarily conserved lateral head, and a medial head thought to be unique to Man. Surveys of human anatomy have demonstrated the absence of either the medial or lateral head in 20% of the population, which may have implications for foot functioning if each muscle head performs a discrete function. The human quadratus plantae is formed by two muscle heads; medial and lateral, with the former thought to be unique to Man [10,11]. It has been reported that approximately 20% of the human population lacks either the medial or lateral head, though rarely (2%) is the quadratus plantae lacking in its entirety [6,10]
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