What is the Opponens Pollicis

Opponens pollicis is a short intrinsic muscle of the hand. It belongs to a group called thenar muscles, along with adductor pollicis

What is the opponens pollicis muscle?

The opponens pollicis muscle is one of the muscles of the thenar eminence, deep to abductor pollicis brevis, and is one of the intrinsic muscles of the hand. The three muscles that constitute the thenar eminence muscle group are abductor pollicis brevis, flexor pollicis brevis and opponens pollicis.

What does the abductor pollicis longus do?

The Abductor pollicis longus (APL) is one of a deep extensor of the forearm and is responsible for facilitating movement and stabilization of the thumb. Its tendon is present in the first extensor compartment of the wrist.

Why is it called opponens pollicis?

The part of apposition that this muscle is responsible for is the flexion of the thumb’s metacarpal at the first carpometacarpal joint. … Note that the two opponens muscles (opponens pollicis and opponens digiti minimi) are named so because they oppose each other, but their actions appose the bones.

What does the abductor pollicis brevis do?

It runs from the scaphoid and trapezium bones, and from the flexor retinaculum to the proximal phalanx of thumb. The main function of abductor pollicis brevis is the abduction of the thumb at the carpometacarpal joint.

Why does my opponens pollicis hurt?

Most often, thenar eminence pain occurs because you’ve developed overuse syndrome from repetitive thumb movements. The pain is located in your thenar eminence because the muscles that move your thumb are there.

What does Opponens mean in anatomy?

Medical Definition of opponens : any of several muscles of the hand or foot that tend to draw one of the lateral digits across the palm or sole toward the others.

What nerve Innervates the opponens pollicis?

The opponens pollicis muscle is innervated by spinal levels C8 and T1. These spinal levels make up the recurrent branch of the median nerve. [6] The recurrent branch of the median nerve also innervates one other muscle that is part of the thenar eminence.

How do you stretch opponens pollicis?

Opponens pollicis stretch Take one hand, reach it behind other arm, and grasp onto the thumb. Pull the thumb away from the body to the side (hyper-abduct) with the hand that is grasping it. Hold the position for twenty seconds. Repeat as needed.

How do you test opponens pollicis?

One way to test this is to lie the forearm on a table, palm up and ask the patient to point their thumb towards the ceiling. At the same time, you can push down on the thumb to give some resistance. The opponens pollicis pulls the thumb across the palm towards the base of the little finger.

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What is flexor pollicis longus?

The flexor pollicis longus (FPL) is a long muscle located at the deep layer with flexor digitorum profundus and pronator quadratus in the anterior compartment of the forearm. Though it is situated at the forearm, it is classified as part of the extrinsic muscles of the hand as it’s function is seen in thumb movement.

Where is abductor pollicis longus?

Abductor pollicis longus is a muscle found in the posterior compartment of the forearm. It is one of the five deep extensors in the forearm, along with the supinator, extensor pollicis brevis, extensor pollicis longus and extensor indicis.

What is extensor pollicis longus?

An important contributor to thumb function, the extensor pollicis longus (EPL) muscle is an extrinsic thumb muscle which extends and adducts the thumb metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and interphalangeal (IP) joints.

What is flexor pollicis brevis?

Flexor pollicis brevis is a short, broad intrinsic muscle of the hand. Together with opponens pollicis, adductor pollicis and abductor pollicis brevis, it comprises the group of thenar muscles. … Like the other thenar muscles, flexor pollicis brevis acts on the thumb and flexes it at the metacarpophalangeal joint.

Why is it called Brevis?

Brevis comes from Latin meaning ‘short in size’.

What is extensor digitorum brevis?

Extensor Digitorum Brevis is one of the intrinsic muscles on the dorsum of the foot. It arises from the upper and lateral surface of the calcaneous, the floor of tarsal sinus, the talocalcaneal ligament, and the stem of the inferior extensor retinaculum.

What is Opponens Digiti Minimi?

Opponens digiti minimi is a small, triangular muscle that arises from the hook of hamate bone (convex part) and the flexor retinaculum of the hand. It inserts into the ulnar aspect of metacarpal bone 5 and the adjacent palmar surface.

What does Lumbrical mean?

The lumbricals are deep muscles of the hand that flex the metacarpophalangeal joints and extend the interphalangeal joints. It has four, small, worm-like muscles on each hand. These muscles are unusual in that they do not attach to bone.

What does Digiti mean?

a combining form meaning “finger,” used in the formation of compound words: digitinervate.

What muscles are in the thumb?

The thenar muscle group is found at the base of the thumb, forming the muscle bulk on the thumb side of the hand. It is comprised of three muscles: the abductor pollicis brevis, the flexor pollicis brevis, and the opponens pollicis.

Why is my adductor pollicis sore?

Pain in the adductor pollicis can occur due to osteoarthritis, soft-tissue trauma in the hand or excessive strain. One condition which can affect the adductor pollicis and thumb adduction is the gamekeeper’s thumb, in which the ulnar collateral ligament above the adductor pollicis is overly strained.

What nerve does thumb abduction?

The median nerve supplies the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscle at the lateral border of the thenar eminence which abducts the thumb at right angles to the palm.

What does the adductor pollicis do?

Adductor pollicis is the most powerful of the intrinsic muscles of the hand. Its main function is the adduction of the thumb which is the movement of the thumb towards the index finger from an abducted position. This action is essential for functions that require pinching and gripping.

Which nerve is known as Eye of the hand?

The median nerve, colloquially known as the “eye of the hand,” is one of the three major nerves of the forearm and hand. It courses from the brachial plexus in the axilla to innervate the intrinsic muscles of the hand.

What is ape hand?

Ape hand is a physical deformity in humans causing an inability to abduct or oppose the thumb thereby causing the thumb little or no abduction and opposition. Abduction of the thumb is the ability to move the perpendicular (90°) away from the plane of the palm.

What nerve Innervates the Brachialis?

The dissections revealed that all brachialis muscles received innervation from the musculocutaneous nerve and that 81.6% were also innervated by a branch from the radial nerve.

What nerve Innervates flexor pollicis brevis?

According to our studies with respect to the flexor pollicis brevis muscle, the superficial head receives innervation of the median nerve and the deep head receives innervation of the median and ulnar nerves (double innervation).

Where is the flexor digitorum?

Flexor digitorum profundus is a fusiform muscle located deep within the anterior (flexor) compartment of the forearm. Along with the flexor pollicis longus and pronator quadratus muscles, it comprises the deep flexor compartment of the forearm.

What is Hypothenar eminence?

The hypothenar eminence is the mound located at the base of the fifth digit (little finger). The eminences at either side of the hand are made up of muscles. The muscles located in the thenar eminence function primarily to control the thumb.

What is a Palmaris longus?

The Palmaris longus (PL) muscle is a long, slender muscle which is usually present in the superficial volar compartment of the forearm, interposed between the Flexor Carpi Ulnaris and the Flexor Carpi Radialis muscles. … The absence of the palmaris longus does not have an effect on grip strength.

Where does flexor pollicis longus insert?

OriginAnterior surface of radius and interosseous membraneInsertionPalmar surface of distal phalanx of thumbActionMetacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joint 1; Thumb flexionInnervationMedian nerve (anterior interosseous nerve C7, C8)

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