Flexor digiti minimi brevis (hand)

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Flexor digiti minimi brevis (hand)

The muscles of the left hand. Palmar surface
Latin	musculus flexor digiti minimi brevis manus
Gray's	subject #126 464
Origin:	hamate bone
Insertion:	little finger
Artery:	ulnar artery
Nerve:	deep branch of ulnar nerve
Action:	flexes little finger
Antagonist:	Extensor digiti minimi muscle
Dorlands/Elsevier	m_22/12549047

For the muscle of the foot, see Flexor digiti quinti brevis muscle (foot)

The flexor digiti minimi brevis is a muscle in the hand that flexes the little finger. It lies in the same plane as the abductor digiti minimi, on its radial side.

1 Structure
2 Innervation
3 Actions
4 Etymology
5 Additional images
6 External links

[edit] Structure

It arises from the convex surface of the hamulus of the hamate bone, and the palmar surface of the flexor retinaculum of the hand, and is inserted into the ulnar side of the base of the first phalanx of the little finger.

It is separated from the abductor digiti minimi, at its origin, by the deep branches of the ulnar artery and the ulnar nerve. This muscle is sometimes not present; in these cases, the abductor digiti minimi is usually larger than normal.

It is a hypothenar muscle.

[edit] Innervation

The flexor digiti minimi brevis, like other hypothenar muscles, is innervated by the deep branch of the ulnar nerve.

[edit] Actions

The flexor digiti minimi flexes the little finger.

[edit] Etymology

The name of this muscle is Latin for the 'short flexor of the little finger'. Note that brevis is usually included to differentiate it from a longus muscle of the same name. The flexor digiti minimi longus, however, is not found in the typical human, but instead is a rare anatomical variation.

[edit] Additional images

Bones of the left hand. Volar surface.	Cross-section through the middle of the forearm.	Transverse section across the wrist and digits.	The radial and ulnar arteries.
Ulnar and radial arteries. Deep view.

[edit] External links

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.