hypothenar eminence

{{short description|Group of three muscles of the palm}}

{{Infobox muscle

| Name = Hypothenar eminence

| Latin = eminentia hypothenaris

| Image = Gray423.png

| Caption = The mucous sheaths of the tendons on the front of the wrist and digits. (Hypothenar eminence labeled at center right.)

| Image2 = Carpal-Tunnel.svg

| Caption2 = Transverse section across the wrist and digits. (Muscles of little finger labeled at upper right.)

| Origin =

| Insertion = 5th metacarpal and proximal phalynx

| Blood = Ulnar artery

| Nerve = Deep branch of ulnar nerve

| Action = Control movement of the 5th digit

| Antagonist =

}}

The hypothenar muscles are a group of three muscles of the palm that control the motion of the little finger.

File:Hand dissection 5.jpg

The three muscles are:{{cite web |url=http://www.wheelessonline.com/ortho/intrinsic_muscles_of_the_hand |title=Intrinsic Muscles of the Hand - Wheeless' Textbook of Orthopaedics |access-date=2008-01-16 }}

Structure

The muscles of hypothenar eminence are from medial to lateral:

The intrinsic muscles of hand can be remembered using the mnemonic, "A OF A OF A" for, Abductor pollicis brevis, Opponens pollicis, Flexor pollicis brevis (the three thenar muscles), Adductor pollicis, and the three hypothenar muscles, Opponens digiti minimi, Flexor digiti minimi brevis, Abductor digiti minimi.{{cite web | url = http://mc.lifehugger.com/moc/386/intrinsic-muscles-hand | title = Medical mnemonics | publisher = LifeHugger | access-date = 2009-12-19 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://archive.today/20110713204529/http://mc.lifehugger.com/moc/386/intrinsic-muscles-hand | archive-date = 2011-07-13 }}

Clinical significance

"Hypothenar atrophy" is associated with the lesion of the ulnar nerve, which supplies the three hypothenar muscles.

Hypothenar hammer syndrome is a vascular occlusion of this region.{{cite journal |author=Cooke RA |title=Hypothenar hammer syndrome: a discrete syndrome to be distinguished from hand-arm vibration syndrome |journal=Occup Med (Lond) |volume=53 |issue=5 |pages=320–4 |year=2003 |pmid=12890831 |doi= 10.1093/occmed/kqg071|doi-access=free }}

See also

References

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