Contents
Anatomy
General information
- This section is strictly limited to anatomy, you might be looking for clinical relevant information which is found under the clinical chapters -- muscles section, click here to go to that page
- Part of the thenar musculature
Position
- Superficial
Origin
- Flexor retinaculum
- Tuberculum scaphoideum
- Tuberculum trapezium
Insertion
- Proximal phalanx of the thumb - radial side
Main function
- Thumb CMC
- Abduction of thumb
Secondary function
- Thumb
- Flexion
- Thumb CMC
- Extension
- Thum IP
- Extension
Nerve innervation
- Segmental
- C8-Th1
- Peripheral
- Nervus medianus
Arterial supply
- Radialis artery
Palpation
- Patient position: Sitting or supine
- Place your hand over the lateral aspect of the thenar eminence
- Ask your patient to abduct the thumb against your resistance
- Feel for the contraction
- Seperate the ulnar part of abductor pollicis brevis from flexor pollicis brevis and opponens pollicis
Strength test
- Patient position: Sitting or supine
- Ask the patient to hold the thumb in an abducted position while you are giving resistance towards adduction against the proximal phalanx