Abductor pollicis brevis muscle
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Batta N, Bell D, Hacking C, et al. Abductor pollicis brevis muscle. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 03 Feb 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-42960
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rID:
42960
Article created:
16 Feb 2016,
Nafisa Shakir Batta
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Nafisa Shakir Batta had no recorded disclosures.
View Nafisa Shakir Batta's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Daniel J Bell had no recorded disclosures.
View Daniel J Bell's current disclosures
Revisions:
9 times, by
7 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
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Synonyms:
- Abductor pollicis brevis muscles
The abductor pollicis brevis muscle is a thin subcutaneous muscle located laterally in the thenar eminence of the hand, and is one of the intrinsic muscles of the hand.
Summary
-
origin: mainly from the flexor retinaculum
- few fibers originate from the tubercles of scaphoid and trapezium and tendon of abductor pollicis longus
- accessory slips may originate from the long and short pollicial extensors (extensor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis), the opponens pollicis or radial styloid process
- insertion: its medial fibers are attached by a thin, flat tendon to the radial side of the proximal phalangeal base in the pollex and lateral fibers join the pollicial dorsal digital expansion
- innervation: lateral branch of median nerve (C8 and T1)
- action: abducts the thumb and medially rotates it at the carpometacarpal and metacarpophalangeal joints
References
- 1. DSc SSP. Gray's Anatomy. Churchill Livingstone. (2011) ISBN:0443066841. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Moore KL, Agur AMR, Dalley AF. Clinically oriented anatomy. LWW. ISBN:1451119453. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 3. Last's anatomy, regional and applied. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:044304662X. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Hand intrinsic muscles innervated by the median nerve (mnemonic)
- Additional radial wrist extensor muscles
- Thenar eminence
- Intrinsic muscles of the hand (mnemonic)
- Ulnar nerve
- Flexor pollicis brevis muscle
- Extensor expansion
- Flexor pollicis longus muscle
- Carpometacarpal joint
- Intrinsic muscles of the hand
- Median nerve
- Trapezium
- Superficial palmar arch
- Split hand sign
- Opponens pollicis muscle
Cases:
Related articles: Anatomy: Upper limb
-
skeleton of the upper limb
- clavicle
- scapula
- humerus
- radius
- ulna
- hand
- accessory ossicles of the upper limb
- accessory ossicles of the shoulder
- accessory ossicles of the elbow
-
accessory ossicles of the wrist (mnemonic)
- os centrale carpi
- os epilunate
- os epitriquetrum
- os styloideum
- os hamuli proprium
- lunula
- os triangulare
- trapezium secondarium
- os paratrapezium
- os radiostyloideum (persistent radial styloid)
- joints of the upper limb
-
pectoral girdle
-
shoulder joint
- articulations
- associated structures
- joint capsule
- bursae
- ligaments
- movements
- scapulothoracic joint
-
glenohumeral joint
- arm flexion
- arm extension
- arm abduction
- arm adduction
- arm internal rotation (medial rotation)
- arm external rotation (lateral rotation)
- circumduction
- arterial supply - scapular anastomosis
- ossification centers
-
shoulder joint
-
elbow joint
- proximal radioulnar joint
- ligaments
- associated structures
- movements
- alignment
- arterial supply - elbow anastomosis
- development
-
wrist joint
- articulations
-
ligaments
- intrinsic ligaments
- extrinsic ligaments
- radioscaphoid ligament
- dorsal intercarpal ligament
- dorsal radiotriquetral ligament
- dorsal radioulnar ligament
- volar radioulnar ligament
- radioscaphocapitate ligament
- long radiolunate ligament
- Vickers ligament
- short radiolunate ligament
- ulnolunate ligament
- ulnotriquetral ligament
- ulnocapitate ligament
- ulnar collateral ligament
- associated structures
- extensor retinaculum
- flexor retinaculum
- joint capsule
- movements
- alignment
- ossification centers
-
hand joints
- articulations
- carpometacarpal joint
-
metacarpophalangeal joints
- palmar ligament (plate)
- collateral ligament
-
interphalangeal joints
- palmar ligament (plate)
- collateral ligament
- movements
- ossification centers
- articulations
-
pectoral girdle
- spaces of the upper limb
- muscles of the upper limb
- shoulder girdle
- anterior compartment of the arm
- posterior compartment of the arm
-
anterior compartment of the forearm
- superficial
- intermediate
- deep
-
posterior compartment of the forearm (extensors)
- superficial
- deep
- muscles of the hand
-
accessory muscles
- elbow
- volar wrist midline
- palmaris longus profundus
- aberrant palmaris longus
- volar wrist radial-side
- accessory flexor digitorum superficialis indicis
- flexor indicis profundus
- flexor carpi radialis vel profundus
- accessory head of the flexor pollicis longus (Gantzer muscle, common)
- volar wrist ulnar-side
- dorsal wrist
- blood supply to the upper limb
-
arteries
- subclavian artery (mnemonic)
- axillary artery
- brachial artery (proximal portion)
- ulnar artery
- radial artery
- veins
-
arteries
- innervation of the upper limb
- intercostobrachial nerve
-
brachial plexus (mnemonic)
- branches from the roots
- branches from the trunks
- branches from the cords
- lateral cord
- posterior cord
- medial cord
- terminal branches
- lymphatic drainage of the upper limb