Flexor carpi ulnaris muscle


The flexor carpi ulnaris muscle is a muscle of the human forearm that acts to flex and adduct the hand.

Structure

Flexor carpi ulnaris muscle arises by two heads, humeral and ulnar, connected by a tendinous arch beneath which the ulnar nerve and artery pass.
Its insertion is into the pisiform bone, into the hamate bone by the pisohamate ligament and into the fifth metacarpal bone by the pisometacarpal ligament.
The muscle acts to flex and adduct the wrist joint.

Nerve supply

The flexor carpi ulnaris muscle is innervated by the ulnar nerve that has its roots in the C8 and T1 spinal nerves.

Tendon

The tendon of flexor carpi ulnaris can be seen on the anterior of the distal forearm. On a person's distal forearm, just before the wrist, there are either two or three tendons. The tendon of the flexor carpi ulnaris is the most medial of these. The most lateral one is the tendon of flexor carpi radialis muscle, and the middle one, not always present, is the tendon of palmaris longus.

Function

The muscle, like all flexors of the forearm, can be strengthened by exercises that resist its flexion. A wrist roller can be used and wrist curls with dumbbells can also be performed. These exercises are used to prevent injury to the ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint.

Variability

The muscle can be doubled as acessory flexor carpi ulnaris muscle and is often accompanied by concomitant variants.

Clinical significance

Ulnar entrapment by the aponeurosis of the two heads of the flexor carpi ulnaris muscle may cause cubital tunnel syndrome.
Tendon of flexor carpi ulnaris can be used for tendon transfer.

Additional images