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The intrinsic muscles of the thumb can be divided into two groups; the thenar eminence and other muscles. The thenar eminence refers to the group of muscles on the palm at the base of the thumb. The three muscles composing the thenar eminence are the abductor pollicis brevis, flexor pollicis brevis and opponens pollicis. [5]
The following three muscles are considered part of the thenar eminence: [3] Abductor pollicis brevis abducts the thumb. This muscle is the most superficial of the thenar group. Flexor pollicis brevis, which lies next to the abductor, will flex the thumb, curling it up in the palm.
The extrinsic muscle groups are the long flexors and extensors. They are called extrinsic because the muscle belly is located on the forearm. The intrinsic group are the smaller muscles located within the hand itself. The muscles of the hand are innervated by the radial, median, and ulnar nerves from the brachial plexus. [1]
The opponens pollicis muscle is one of the three thenar muscles. [1] It originates from the flexor retinaculum of the hand and the tubercle of the trapezium.It passes downward and laterally, and is inserted into the whole length of the metacarpal bone of the thumb on its radial side.
The abductor pollicis brevis is a flat, thin muscle located just under the skin. It is a thenar muscle, and therefore contributes to the bulk of the palm's thenar eminence. It originates from the flexor retinaculum of the hand, the tubercle of the scaphoid bone, and additionally sometimes from the tubercle of the trapezium.
The muscle's superficial head arises from the distal edge of the flexor retinaculum and the tubercle of the trapezium, the most lateral bone in the distal row of carpal bones. [1] It passes along the radial side of the tendon of the flexor pollicis longus. The deeper (and medial) head "varies in size and may be absent."
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The superficial head arises on the flexor retinaculum, while the deep head originates on three carpal bones: the trapezium, trapezoid, and capitate. The muscle is inserted onto the radial sesamoid bone of the metacarpophalangeal joint. It acts to flex, adduct, and abduct the thumb, and is therefore also able to oppose the thumb.