Opponens pollicis muscle
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Batta N, Bell D, Hacking C, et al. Opponens pollicis muscle. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 14 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-42961
rID:
42961
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:
6 times, by
5 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Tags:
Synonyms:
- Opponens pollicis muscles
The opponens pollicis muscle is one of the muscles of the thenar eminence, deep to abductor pollicis brevis, and is one of the intrinsic muscles of the hand. The three muscles that constitute the thenar eminence muscle group are abductor pollicis brevis, flexor pollicis brevis and opponens pollicis.
Summary
- origin: extends from the trapezial tubercle and flexor retinaculum
- insertion: lateral border and adjoining lateral half of the palmar surface of the first metacarpal bone
- innervation: lateral terminal branch of median nerve (C8 and T1) and commonly a ramus of the deep terminal branch of the ulnar nerve (C8 and/or T1)
- action: flexes the metacarpal bone medially across the palm, also rotating it medially, causing opposition, the palmar aspect of the terminal segment of thumb contacts the flexor aspects of any other digit
References
- 1. Moore KL, Agur AMR, Dalley AF. Clinically oriented anatomy. LWW. ISBN:1451119453. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Last's anatomy, regional and applied. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:044304662X. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 3. Susan Standring. Gray's Anatomy. ISBN: 9780702052309
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Hand intrinsic muscles innervated by the median nerve (mnemonic)
- Thenar eminence
- Carpometacarpal joint
- Metacarpal bones
- Deep palmar branch of the ulnar artery
- Intrinsic muscles of the hand
- Median nerve
- Intrinsic muscles of the hand (mnemonic)
- Ulnar nerve
- Trapezium
- Abductor pollicis brevis muscle
- Superficial palmar arch
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