Superficial digital flexor muscle
Musculus flexor digitorum superficialis
Flexes the proximal digital and metacarpophalangeal joints, and helps flex the carpus.
About the superficial digital flexor muscle of the dog
Superficial digital flexor muscle is a muscle of the back leg (pelvic limb), on the left side. Its name in the Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria is Musculus flexor digitorum superficialis. Enclosed by the two gastrocnemius heads proximally; tendon twists to lie superficial and caps the calcaneus. You can turn it above, see it in place in the back leg of the dog, and open it inside the whole animal in Vetomica.
Where it runs from and to
A muscle is told apart from its neighbours by what it takes hold of at each end, which is also what decides what it does when it shortens.
- Origin
- Humeral medial epicondyle.
- Insertion
- Splits into four tendons ending on the palmar aspect of the middle phalanges of digits II to V.
- Action
- Flexes the proximal digital and metacarpophalangeal joints, and helps flex the carpus.
- Nerve
- Median nerve.
Written for Vetomica in its own words from the standard reference anatomy of the dog; the books it was checked against are listed below.
What it works on
Enclosed by the two gastrocnemius heads proximally; tendon twists to lie superficial and caps the calcaneus.
Bones it takes hold of
Muscles and ligaments it works with
- Gastrocnemius lateral head
- Gastrocnemius medial head
- Flexor digitorum lateralis
- Popliteus
- Calcanean cap of superficial digital flexor
- Superficial digital flexor tendons of pes
- Common calcanean tendon
Terminology
- English
- Superficial digital flexor muscle
- Latin (NAV)
- Musculus flexor digitorum superficialis
- Status
- A valid term in the Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria
References
Where to read this structure in full, and where the named parts above were read.
- NAV 2017Myologia: musculi membri pelvini
- Miller's Anatomy of the Dog, 5th ed.The Muscular System: muscles of the pelvic limb
- König & LiebichMuscles of the pelvic limb
- Dyce, Sack & WensingThe hindlimb of the carnivores
The superficial digital flexor muscle in other animals
The same structure in the other animals in the Library, to compare.
Questions about the superficial digital flexor muscle
- What is the Latin name of the superficial digital flexor muscle?
- In the Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria, the superficial digital flexor muscle is called Musculus flexor digitorum superficialis.
- Where is the superficial digital flexor muscle of the dog?
- Superficial digital flexor muscle is a muscle of the back leg (pelvic limb), on the left side.
- Which bones does the superficial digital flexor muscle attach to?
- Superficial digital flexor muscle takes hold of Femur, Lateral fabella (lateral sesamoid of M. gastrocnemius), Calcaneus and Middle phalanges pes.
- Where does the superficial digital flexor muscle originate and insert?
- Origin: Humeral medial epicondyle. Insertion: Splits into four tendons ending on the palmar aspect of the middle phalanges of digits II to V.
- What nerve supplies the superficial digital flexor muscle?
- Median nerve.
- What does the superficial digital flexor muscle do?
- Flexes the proximal digital and metacarpophalangeal joints, and helps flex the carpus.
See the superficial digital flexor muscle inside the whole dog.
Vetomica opens on this structure with every layer of the dog around it: peel back the skin and the muscles, cut a section through it, X-ray it, and practise naming it until you stop getting it wrong.
Free for 7 days, no card. After that the skeletons stay free.
