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The thenar eminence is the mound formed at the base of the thumb on the palm of the hand by the intrinsic group of muscles of the thumb. [1] The skin overlying this region is the area stimulated when trying to elicit a palmomental reflex. The word thenar comes from Ancient Greek θέναρ (thenar) 'palm of the hand'. [2]
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]
In medicine, split hand syndrome is a neurological syndrome in which the hand muscles on the side of the thumb (lateral, thenar eminence) appear wasted, whereas the muscles on the side of the little finger (medial, hypothenar eminence) are spared.
The intrinsic muscle groups are the thenar and hypothenar (little finger) muscles; the interossei muscles (four dorsally and three volarly) originating between the metacarpal bones; and the lumbrical muscles arising from the deep flexor (and which are special because they have no bony origin) to insert on the dorsal extensor hood mechanism.
In the thenar eminence, the recurrent branch of the median nerve provides motor innervation to: [4] opponens pollicis muscle; abductor pollicis brevis muscle; superficial part of flexor pollicis brevis muscle; A separate, more proximal branch of the median nerve additionally provides motor innervation to the 1st and 2nd lumbricals of the hand.
It also supplies the muscles of the thenar eminence by a recurrent thenar branch. [8] The rest of the intrinsic muscles of the hand are supplied by the ulnar nerve. The median nerve innervates the skin of the palmar (volar) side of the index finger, thumb, middle finger, and half the ring finger, and the nail bed.
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.
Flexor pollicis brevis can, rarely, be completely absent at birth due to a congenital issue (as can the other muscles of the thenar eminence). [ 6 ] Additional images