Hand Exam: Motor 3/13 – Flexor Digitorum Superficialis (FDS)

Flexor Digitorum Superficialis (FDS)

  • Instruct the patient “Bend your finger at the middle joint” while stabilizing their other fingers (otherwise FDP tries to help out)
  • Insertion: middle phalanxes of fingers
  • Action: flexion of proximal interphalangeal joints
  • Innervation: Median nerve

The 13 muscle groups you need to test in the hand exam:

  1. FPL
  2. FDP
  3. FDS
  4. Thenar muscles
  5. Interosseous
  6. Hypothenar muscles
  7. EPB and APL
  8. EPL
  9. EDC
  10. EIP and EDM
  11. ECRL and ECRB
  12. ECU
  13. Adductor Pollicis