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Flexor pollicis longus
Other Terms:
Musculus flexor pollicis longus,
Muscle long fléchisseur du pouce
Muscle parts
None
Latin name
Musculus flexor pollicis longus
Latin muscle parts
None
Group
Antebrachial muscle – anterior compartment – deep group
Etymology
In English this muscle’s name is the long muscle that bends the thumb. The word flexor comes from the Latin flectere meaning “to bend.”The Latin pollex meaning “thumb” arises from the Latin polleo meaning “to be strong,” as the thumb was the strongest of the fingers.Longus is the Latin term meaning “long.” This is being used as a comparative reference to a shorter muscle that does the same thing.
Origin
Anterior surface of radius from the base of the radial tuberosity to the pronator quadratus, radial side of the interosseous membrane
Insertion
Anterior (palmar) surface of the base of the distal phalanx of the thumb
Action
Flexes the phalanges of the thumb; weakly assists flexors of wrist
Nerve supply
Median nerve (C7 and C8)
Blood supply
Muscular branches from the radial artery and the anterior interosseous artery supply the meaty belly of the muscle. The long distal tendon of the muscle receives blood supply from the princeps pollicis artery and from branches from the deep palmar arch.
Latin
Musculus flexor pollicis longus
French
Muscle long fléchisseur du pouce