Abductor pollicis longus muscle
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Trajcevska E, Bell D, Weerakkody Y, et al. Abductor pollicis longus muscle. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 21 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-24510
rID:
24510
Article created:
21 Aug 2013,
Elena Trajcevska
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Elena Trajcevska had no recorded disclosures.
View Elena Trajcevska'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:
14 times, by
8 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Tags:
Synonyms:
- Abductor pollicis longus muscles
- Abductor pollicis longus (APL)
- APL muscle
The abductor pollicis longus (APL) muscle is found in the deep layer of the posterior compartment of the forearm. As it descends, it becomes superficial and passes under the extensor retinaculum and through the 1st extensor compartment of the wrist before attaching distally. It is one of the extrinsic muscles of the hand.
Summary
- origin: posterior surfaces of ulna, radius and interosseous membrane
- insertion: via tendon, usually dividing into two slips, one attaching to the base of 1st metacarpal, the other attaching to the trapezium
- arterial supply: proximally by the posterior interosseous artery and distally by a branch from the anterior interosseous artery
- innervation: posterior interosseous nerve (C7, C8), a continuation of the deep branch of the radial nerve (C7, C8)
- action: abducts and extends the thumb at the carpometacarpal joint
Variant anatomy
- presence of multiple slips instead of a single APL tendon 4
- a vertical septum splitting the 1st extensor compartment into two distinct subcompartments (i.e. APL lies in its own tunnel) 4
References
- 1. Gray's Anatomy. Churchill Livingstone. (2011) ISBN:0443066841. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Last's anatomy. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:0443100330. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 3. Moore KL, Dalley AF. Anatomy. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. (1999) ISBN:0683061410. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 4. Pascal Rousset, Valérie Vuillemin-Bodaghi, Jean-Denis Laredo, Caroline Parlier-Cuau. Anatomic Variations in the First Extensor Compartment of the Wrist: Accuracy of US1. (2010) Radiology. 257 (2): 427-33. doi:10.1148/radiol.10092265 - Pubmed
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Proximal intersection syndrome
- Radial collateral ligament of the wrist
- Posterior interosseous nerve
- Ultrasound of the wrist
- Rolando fracture
- Extensor pollicis brevis muscle
- Scaphoid fat pad sign
- Posterior compartment of the forearm
- Abductor pollicis brevis muscle
- Anatomical snuff box
- De Quervain tenosynovitis
- Extrinsic muscles of the hand
- Posterior interosseous artery
- Radius
- Metacarpal bones
- Dorsal deltoid ligament complex of the thumb
- Carpometacarpal joint
- Ulna
- Extensor compartments of the wrist
- Hand radiograph (an approach)
Cases:
- De Quervain's tenosynovitis
- De Quervain tenosynovitis
- Wrist extensor tendons (reporting aid)
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Reversed palmaris longus muscle
- Orthopedic hardware impingement - 1st extensor compartment of the wrist
- De Quervain tenosynovitis
- De Quervain tenosynovitis
- De Quervain tenosynovitis
- De Quervain tenosynovitis
- De Quervain tenosynovitis
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
Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.
