MUSCLES OF FOREARM

Forearm muscles divide into 2/3 compartment: anterior, posterior and/or lateral
Blood supply to its muscles is from radial and ulnar arteries that arise from brachial artery.
Anterior forearm (flexor compartment) divides into superficial, intermediate, and deep
compartments:
Superficial Anterior compartment:
muscle origin insertion action innervation
Has 2 heads:
Humeral head – medial Pisiform
Flexor carpi Flexion & Adduction
epicondyle of humerus Hook of hamate Ulnar nerve
ulnaris of and at wrist joint
Ulnar head – olecranon Base of 5th metacarpals
process of ulna
Flexor carpi Medial epicondyle of Bases of 2nd & 3rd Flexion & abduction Median
redialis humerus metacarpals of hand at wrist joint nerve
Palmaris Medial epicondyle of Palmer aponeurosis + Median
Flexion at wrist joint
longus humerus flexor retinaculum nerve
Has 2 heads:
Humeral head – medial Lateral aspect of shaft
Pronator Median
epicondyle of radius Pronation
teres nerve
Ulnar head – medial side (pronator tubercle)
of ulnar coronoid process

NOTE:
All superficial anterior forearm muscles originate from the medial epicondyle of humerus.
All muscles are innervated by median nerve except for the flexor carpi ulnaris which is
innervated by ulnar nerve.
Intermediate layer of anterior forearm muscles
muscle origin insertion action innervation
middle
Has 2 heads
phalanges of
Humeroulnar head –
medial 4 Flexion of medial
medial epicondyle of
Flexor fingers phalanges and
humerus and adjacent Median
digitorum (form a V- assists flexion of
medial margin of nerve
superficialis shaped proximal phalanx
coronoid process
insertion on and hand
Radial head – oblique
each side of
line of radius
phalanges)
Deep layer of anterior forearm muscles

Muscle Origin Insertion action Innervation

Distal phalanges of Flexion of distal Lateral half –
medial 4 fingers phalanges and anterior
Flexor (pass through V- assist in flexion interosseous
Anteriomedial
digitorum shaped tendons of of medial, nerve branch of
surface of ulna
profundus flexor digitorum proximal median nerve
superficialis to phalanges and Medial half –
insert) wrist ulnar nerve
anterior
Flexor Anterior
Distal phalanx of Flexion of distal interosseous
pollicis surface of shaft
thumb thumb phalanx nerve branch of
longus of radius
median nerve
anterior
Distal anterior
Pronator Distal anterior interosseous
surface of ulnar pronation
quadratus surface of radius nerve branch of
shaft
median nerve
Note:
Exception to innervation by anterior interosseous nerve in deep compartment is medial
side of flexor digitorum produndus muscle which is innervated by ulnar nerve.
Muscles of lateral forearm compartment
Muscle origin Insertion Action Innervation
Lateral Accessory flexor of
Styloid
supracondylar elbow joint when Redial
Brachioradialis process of
ridge of humerus forearm is nerve
radius
(proximal part) midpronation
Lateral
Dorsal surface
Extensor carpi supracondylar Extend and abduct Radial
of base of 2nd
redials longus ridge of humerus hand at wrist joint nerve
metacarpal
(distal part)
NOTE:
Lateral muscle all originates from the lateral supracondylar ridge of humerus and all
innervated by redial nerve and get there blood supply from redial artery (branch of
brachial artery
Superficial layer of posterior Forearm muscle compartment
Muscle Origin Insertion Action Innervation
Extensor
lateral Posterior
carpi Base of 3rd Extension and
epicondyle interosseous
radials metacarpal abduction of wrist
of humerus nerve
brevis
Lateral Middle & distal Posterior
Extensor Extends hand and
epicondyle phalanges of interosseous
digitorum fingers
of humerus medial 4 digits nerve
Extensor Lateral Extensor Extends Posterior
digiti epicondyle expansion/hood metacarpophalangeal interosseous
minimi of humerus of little finger joint of little finger nerve
Extensor Lateral Posterior
Base of 5th Extension and
carpi epicondyle interosseous
metacarpal adduction of wrist
ulnaris of humus nerve
Lateral Lateral surface of
Anconeus epicondyle ulnar olecranon Extends the elbow joint Radial nerve
of humerus process
NOTE: all muscle of superficial posterior forearm originates from lateral epicondyle of
humerus and innervated by Posterior interosseous nerve the deep branch of radial nerve
except for Anconeus muscle that is innervated by radial nerve
The Extensor carpi radialis brevis lies deep to longus of the lateral compartment.
Blood supply: anterior and posterior interosseous arteries
Deep layer of posterior forearm muscle compartment
Muscle Origin Insertion Action innervation
Has 2 layers
Superficial/humeral layer-
lateral epicondyle, radial
Lateral surface
collateral & annular Posterior
of radius
supinator ligament supination interosseus
superior to
Deep/ulnar layer – nerve
oblique line
posterior ulnar surface
(supinator crest)

Abduct thumb
Abductor Posterior surfaces of Lateral side of Posterior
and accessory
pollicis radius & ulna and base of 1st interosseus
thumb
longus interosseous membrane metacarpal nerve
extensor
Base of
Extensor Posterior surface of radius posterior Posterior
Extends
pollicis and interosseous proximal interosseus
thumb
brevis membrane phalanx of nerve
thumb
Base of
Extensor Posterior surface of ulna Posterior
posterior distal Extends
pollicis and interosseous interosseus
phalanx of thumb
longus membrane nerve
thumb
Posterior
Extensor Posterior surface of ulna & Extensor hood Extends index
interosseus
indicis interosseous membrane of index finger finger
nerve
NOTE: all muscles innervated by deep branch of radial nerve > Posterior interosseus nerve
Blood supply: posterior interosseous artery branch of ulnar artery
The 2 extensors and 1 abductor of the thumb make up the borders of anatomical snuff
box: medially: extensor pollicis longus. Laterally: extensor pollicis brevis and abductor
pollicis longus
proximal border: styloid process of radial / floor: scaphoid and trapezium
content: radial artery, branch of radial nerve and cephalic vein
 HAND
the hand has 2 group of muscles: intrinsic (arise and attach on the hand) and extrinsic
muscles/ tensons (originate in the forearm and insert into the hand)
extrinsic muscles involve the long tendons of extensor and flexor muscles.
Palmar aponeurosis: a triangular shaped thickened fascia
Apex: flexor retinaculum and palmar longus tendon
Base: divides into 4 slips and each slip then divide into two diverging around flexor
tendons
Function: protect and improve hand grip
INTRINSIC MUSCLES of the Hand
Muscle Origin Insertion Action Innervation
Flexor
Superficial
Pamlaris retinaculum
Skin of palm Improve grip branch of
brevis and palmar
ulnar nerve
aponeurosis
1st & 2nd by
Tendons of Flexes
Extensor median
flexor metacarpophalangeal
Lumbricals expansion of 4 nerve
digitorum joints and extends
medial digits 3 & 4th by
rd
profundus interphalangeal joints
ulnar nerve
1st from base Proximal
of 1st phalanges of
metacarpal thumb, index, Adduction of thumb, Deep branch
4 Palmar
2nd,4th ,5th ring and little index, ring and little of ulnar
interosseous
from anterior fingers + their finger nerve
shafts of dorsal extensor
metacarpals expansions
Lateral and
Proximal
medial Deep branch
3 dorsal phalanges of Abduction of index,
surfaces of of ulnar
interosseous index,middle middle and ring fingers
adjacent nerve
and ring fingers
metacarpals
Has 2 heads:
Transverse:
3rd
Base of proximal
metacarpal Deep branch
Adductor phalanx and
Oblique: Adducts the thumb of ulnar
pollicis extensor hood
capitate & nerve
of thumb
bases of 2nd &
3rd
metacarpal
NOTE: the Adductor pollicis muscle lies in the thenar region of the palm but it is NOT part of the
thenar muscles (lies beneath them)
Thenar muscles of hand
Muscle Origin Insertion Action Innervation
Flexor retinaculum & Medial Recurrent
Opponens Lateral side of 1st
tubercle of rotation of branch of
pollicis metacarpal
trapezium thumb median nerve
Flexor retinaculum &
Abductor Proximal phalanx Recurrent
tubercle of Abduct the
pollicis and extensor branch of
trapezium and thumb
brevis hood of thumb median nerve
scaphoid
Flexor Flexor retinaculum & Recurrent
Proximal phalanx Flexes the
pollicis tubercle of branch of
of thumb thumb
brevis trapezium median nerve
NOTE: all thenar muscle have the same origin of Flexor retinaculum & tubercle of trapezium
and are innervated by recurrent branch of median nerve
Sesamoid bones are found in the hand within the tendons of adductor pollicis and flexor
pollicis brevis.

Hypothenar muscles of hand

Muscle Origin Insertion Action Innervation
Laterally
Opponens Hook of hamate & Shaft of 5th Deep branch of
rotates little
digiti minimi flexor retinaculum metacarpal ulnar nerve
finger
Lateral side of
Abductor Pisiform & flexor Abducts little Deep branch of
Proximal phalanx of
digiti minimi retinaculum finger ulnar nerve
little finger
Flexor digiti Hook of hamate & Proximal phalanx of Flexes little Deep branch of
minimi flexor retinaculum little finger finger ulnar nerve
NOTE: all innervated by deep ulnar branch and have the common origin of flexor
retinaculum