Thenar and Hypothenar

Muscles

Aman Verma
Reg no.- 220101013
 Competency
The student should be able to

Describe the origin, insertion, nerve supply,

and actions and clinical antomy
of :-
• Thenar Muscles
• Hypothenar Muscles
Thenar Muscles
Name of Thenar muscles

• Abductor pollicis brevis

• Flexor pollicis brevis
• Opponens pollicis
 Abductor pollicis brevis
• Origin - Tubercule of scaphoid,
Crest of Trapezium,
Flexor Retinaculum

• Insertion –Base of
proximal phalanx
of thumb
• Nerve supply – median nerve

• Action – abduction of thumb

 Flexor Pollicis Brevis

• Origin – Flexor retinaculum,

Crest of Trapezium
and Capitate bones

• Insertion – base of proximal

phalanx of thumb
• Nerve supply – Median Nerve

• Actions – Flexes metacarpophalangeal

joint of thumb
 Opponens pollicis
• Origin – Flexor retinaculum,
Crest of Trapezium
• Insertion – lateral half of
the palmer surface of the
shaft of metacarpal bone
of
thumb
• Nerve supply – Median nerve

• Action – pulls thumb medially and forward across

palm (opposes thumb towards the finger)
Hypothenar Muscles
Name of Hypothenar muscles

• Abductor digiti minimi

• Flexor digiti minimi
• Opponens digiti minimi
 Abductor Digiti Minimi

• Origin – Pisiform bone

• Insertion – Base of
proximal phalanx of
little finger
• Nerve supply – Deep branch of ulnar nerve

• Actions – abducts little finger

 Flexor Digiti Minimi

• Origin – flexor retinaculum

• Insertion – Base of proximal

phalanx of little finger
• Nerve supply – Deep branch of Ulnar Nerve

• Action – Flexes little finger

 Opponens Digiti Minimi

• Origin – Flexor Retinaculum

• Insertion – Medial border

of fifth metacarpal bone
• Nerve supply – Deep branch of Ulnar Nerve

• Action – Pulls fifth metacarpal forward as in cupping

the palm
 Clinical Anatomy
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Involvement of median nerve in carpal tunnel at
wrist
• Patient is unable to hold the book with thumbs and
other fingers
• Loss of sensation on lateral 31/2 digits including the
nail bed
• Long standing case of paralysis lead to dry and
scaly skin
 Complete Claw Hand
• If both Ulnar and Median Nerve gets paralysed, the
result is complete claw hand
 Ulnar Claw Hand

• Ulnar Nerve lesion at wrist produces Ulnar Claw

Hand
• Hypertension at the metacarpophalangeal joint
and flexion at interphalangeal joints involving the
ring and little fingers – more than the index and
middle fingers
• Sensory loss is confined to the medial one third of
the palm and the medial 1 ½ fingers including thir
nail beds
• The patient is unable to spread out the fingers due to
paralysis of the dorsal interossei