Thenar Muscles (radial group): Instruct the patient “Touch the thumb to the small finger”
All supplied by recurrent branch of median nerve
Abductor Pollicis Brevis (APD)
- Origin: flexor retinaculum and tubercles of scaphoid and trapezium
- Insertion: lateral side of base of the proximal phalanx of the thumb
- Action: palmar abduction, tiny bit MP flexion and IP extension
- Innervation: recurrent branch of median nerve
Opponens Pollicis (OP)
- Origin: Flexor retinaculum and tubercle of trapezium
- Insertion: lateral side of first metacarpal bone
- Action: rotates thumb pinch with index finger
- Innervation: recurrent branch of median nerve
Flexor Pollicis Brevis (FPB)
- Origin: Flexor retinaculum and tubercle of trapezium
- Insertion: medial side of base of proximal phalanx of the thumb
- Action: flexes and stabilizes MPJ
- Innervation: recurrent branch of median nerve
The 13 muscle groups you need to test in the hand exam:
- FPL
- FDP
- FDS
- Thenar muscles
- Interosseous
- Hypothenar muscles
- EPB and APL
- EPL
- EDC
- EIP and EDM
- ECRL and ECRB
- ECU
- Adductor Pollicis
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