Extensor pollicis longus muscle
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Mirt G, Knipe H, Feger J, et al. Extensor pollicis longus muscle. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 30 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-40129
rID:
40129
Article created:
8 Oct 2015,
Greg Mirt
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Greg Mirt had no recorded disclosures.
View Greg Mirt's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Henry Knipe had the following disclosures:
- Integral Diagnostics, Shareholder (ongoing)
- Micro-X Ltd, Shareholder (ongoing)
These were assessed during peer review and were determined to not be relevant to the changes that were made.
View Henry Knipe's current disclosures
Revisions:
17 times, by
13 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Tags:
Synonyms:
- Extensor pollicis longus muscles
- Extensor pollicis longus (EPL) muscle
Extensor pollicis longus (EPL) muscle is a muscle of the deep compartment in the posterior compartment of the forearm. It passes through the 3rd extensor compartment of the wrist, then continues laterally towards the thumb around Lister's tubercle. The tendon of EPL defines the ulnar border of the anatomical snuffbox. It is one of the extrinsic muscles of the hand.
Summary
origin: posterior surface of the middle 1/3 of the ulna and interosseous membrane
insertion: posterior surface of the base of the distal phalanx of thumb
innervation: posterior interosseous nerve (C7 and C8), a continuation of the deep branch of the radial nerve (C7, C8)
arterial supply: anterior and posterior interosseous arteries
action: extends the thumb at the carpometacarpal and interphalangeal joints, and partially adducts 1st metacarpal
Related pathology
EPL tenosynovitis: common after activities such as drum playing
tendon rupture after distal radius fracture and/or ORIF 3,4
References
- 1. Last, R. J., McMinn, R. M. H.. Last's Anatomy, Regional and Applied. (1994) ISBN: 044304662X - Google Books
- 2. Susan Standring. Gray's Anatomy. (2008) ISBN: 9780443066849 - Google Books
- 3. Roth K, Blazar P, Earp B, Han R, Leung A. Incidence of Extensor Pollicis Longus Tendon Rupture After Nondisplaced Distal Radius Fractures. J Hand Surg Am. 2012;37(5):942-7. doi:10.1016/j.jhsa.2012.02.006 - Pubmed
- 4. Hara A, Yamamoto Y, Ichihara S, Suzuki M, Maruyama Y. Simple Surgical Technique for Minimizing the Risk of Extensor Pollicis Longus Rupture Following Volar Plate Fixation of Distal Radial Fracture: A Case Report. Int J Surg Case Rep. 2022;92:106869. doi:10.1016/j.ijscr.2022.106869 - Pubmed
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Distal intersection syndrome
- Posterior interosseous nerve
- Ultrasound of the wrist
- Colles fracture
- Extensor pollicis brevis muscle
- Posterior compartment of the forearm
- Anatomical snuff box
- Extrinsic muscles of the hand
- Lister's tubercle
- Extensor expansion
- Ulna
- Extensor compartments of the wrist
- Medical abbreviations and acronyms (E)
- Lister's tubercle fracture
- Phalanges of the hands
- Abductor pollicis brevis muscle
- Radius
- Extensor indicis muscle
- Dorsal deltoid ligament complex of the thumb
- Carpometacarpal joint
Cases:
- Extensor pollicis longus tendon tear (MRI)
- Wrist extensor tendons (reporting aid)
- Extensor pollicis longus tendon rupture
- Extensor pollicis longus tendon tear
- Distal intersection syndrome
- Extensor pollicis longus tendon tear
- Extensor pollicis longus tendon injury
- Extensor pollicis longus tendon injury
- Posterior interosseous neuropathy secondary to lipoma
- Posterior interosseous neuropathy secondary to lipoma
- Extensor pollicis longus rupture
- Extensor pollicis longus rupture
- Orthopedic hardware impingement - wrist
- Extensor pollicis longus tendon tear
- Lister's tubercle variant
- Lister's tubercle variant
- Distal intersection syndrome
Multiple choice questions:
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
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