Bilateral Symmetric Absence of Lumbricals of the Foot: A Rare Case Report

J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 2023 Nov-Dec;113(6):22-188. doi: 10.7547/22-188.ABSTRACTVariations of the lumbricals of the foot are not common, unlike the lumbricals of the hand. Few cases of unilateral absence of lumbricals of the foot have been reported. There have been far fewer cases of bilateral asymmetric absence of the lumbricals of the foot reported. The study reports the findings observed during the routine dissection for undergraduate medical students in the Department of Anatomy. We observed that the third lumbrical in both the feet was absent in an elderly male cadaver. The other features of both feet were usual. Externally, there was no apparent deformity, operation mark, or evidence of injury in any of the feet. Considering the functional role of the lumbricals in particular and other small intrinsic muscles in general, on the mechanics of foot movement, it is of much significance to have the knowledge of the possible variations and their clinical implications, which should be studied using different diagnostic tools such as imaging techniques, dynamometry, and other modalities.PMID:38170613 | DOI:10.7547/22-188
Source: Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association - Category: Podiatry Authors: Source Type: research