Muscles in the anterior compartment of the forearm

Question 1

What 3 layers are the muscles in the anterior compartment of the forearm organised into?

Answer 1

superficial, intermediate and deep

Question 2

What are the superficial muscles? (4)

Answer 2

flexor carpi ulnaris, palmaris longus, flexor carpi radialis, pronator teres
(they all originate from a common tendon, which rises from the epicondyle of the humerus)

Question 3

What is the intermediate muscle?

Answer 3

flexor digitorum superficialis

Question 4

What are the deep muscles? (3)

Answer 4

flexor pollicis longus, flexor digitorum profundus and pronator quadratus

Question 5

What nerve are they innervated by? (except the flexor carpi ulnaris and the medial half of flexor digitorum profundus)

Answer 5

median nerve

Question 6

What are flexor carpi ulnaris and the medial half of flexor digitorum profundus innervated by?

Answer 6

ulnar nerve

Question 7

What are the arteries that receive their arterial blood supply from?

Answer 7

ulnar artery and radial artery

Question 8

origins of the flexor carpi ulnaris

Answer 8

humeral head- medial epicondyle of the humerus

ulnar head- olecranon of the ulnar

Question 9

insertion of flexor carpi ulnaris

Answer 9

pisiform bone, hook of hamate and the base of the 5th metacarpal

Question 10

function of flexor carpi ulnaris

Answer 10

flexion and adduction at the wrist

Question 11

origin of palmaris longus

note- 15% of the population doesn’t have this muscle

Answer 11

medial epicondyle

Question 12

insertion of palmaris longus

Answer 12

flexor retinaculum of the wrist

Question 13

function of palmaris longus

Answer 13

flexion at the wrist

Question 14

origin of flexor carpi radialis

Answer 14

medial epicondyle

Question 15

insertion of flexor carpi radialis

Answer 15

metacarpals 2 and 3

Question 16

function of flexor carpi radialis

Answer 16

flexion and abduction at the wrist

Question 17

origin of pronator teres

Answer 17

medial epicondyle and coronoid process of the ulna

Question 18

insertion of pronator teres

Answer 18

mid shaft of the radius

Question 19

function of pronator teres

Answer 19

pronation of the forearm

Question 20

What two structures pass between the two heads of flexor digitorum superficialis?

Answer 20

median nerve and ulnar artery

Question 21

origin of flexor digitorum superficialis

Answer 21

It has two heads- one originates from the medial epicondyle of the humerus and the other from the radius

Question 22

insertion of flexor digitorum superficialis

Answer 22

the muscle splits into four tendons at the wrist, which travel through the carpal tunnel, and attaches to the phalanges of the 4 fingers

Question 23

functions of flexor digitorum superficialis

Answer 23

flexes the metacarpophalangeal joints and proximal interphalangeal joints at the 4 fingers and flexes at the wrist

Question 24

origin of flexor digitorum profundus

Answer 24

ulna and associated interosseous membrane

Question 25

insertion of flexor digitorum profundus

Answer 25

at the wrist it splits into 4 tendons that pass through the carpal tunnel and attach to the distal phalanges of the four fingers

Question 26

functions of flexor digitorum profundus

Answer 26

it is the only muscle that can flex the distal interphalangeal joints of the fingers. it also flexes at metacarpophalangeal joints and at the wrist

Question 27

origin of flexor policies longus

Answer 27

anterior surface of the radius and surrounding interosseous membrane

Question 28

insertion of flexor policies longus

Answer 28

attaches too the base of the distal phalanx of the thumb

Question 29

function of flexor policies longus

Answer 29

flexes the interphalangeal joint and metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb

Question 30

origin of pronator quadrates

Answer 30

anterior surface of the ulnar

Question 31

insertion of pronator quadrates

Answer 31

anterior surface of the radius

Question 32

function of pronator quadratus

Answer 32

pronates the forearm