Anatomy Of The Hand And Wrist

Question 1

What muscles move the forearm and wrist?

Answer 1

Anterior muscles of forearm

• flexor carpi radialis
• palmaris longus
• pronator teres
• flexor carpi ulnaris

Posterior muscles of forearm

• extensor carpi radialis longus and brevis
• extensor digitorum
• extensor digit minimi
• extensor carpi ulnaris
• aconeus

Wrist movement

• flexor carpi radialis and ulnaris
• palmaris longus
• extensor carpi longus, brevis and ulnaris

Question 2

What muscles move the hand and fingers?

Answer 2

• extrinsic muscles: anterior flex the wrist, and posterior compartment of the forearm extend the wrist
• intrinsic: thenar muscles which move the thumb, palmaris brevis also adducts the thumb, hypothenar muscles move little finger interossei (dorsal and palmar) which addict and abduct the fingers, lumbricals (extend start IP joint, flex at MCP joint)

Question 3

What are the innervations of the upper limb?

Answer 3

Anterior compartment of arm: MSC nerve
Shoulder muscles: axillary nerve
Posterior arm: radial nerve
Posterior forearm: radial nerve
Anterior forearm except FCU and medial 2 parts of FDP: median nerve
Intrinsic muscles of hand LOAF (lateral 2 lumbricals, opponens pollicis, abductor pollicis brevis, flexor pollicis brevis): median nerve
FCU and 2/FDP: ulnar nerve
Hypothenar, interossei, medial 2 lumbricals, adductor pollicis: ulnar nerve