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The abductor pollicis brevis is one of the muscles forming the thenar eminence, the muscle mass of the thumb. The abductor pollicis brevis is the largest of the thenar eminence muscle group and is flat, elongated and triangular in shape. It lies just below the skin and slightly overlaps the flexor pollicis brevis and mostly covers the opponens pollicis. The abductor pollicis brevis originates from the tubercle of the trapezium and from the flexor retinaculum. It inserts in the proximal phalanx of the thumb. This muscle is innervated by the median nerve and supplied by palmar branches of the radial artery. It moves the metacarpal bone of the thumb away from the palm.
 Research Abductor Pollicis Brevis
The opponens pollicis is a deep muscle. It is a small triangular muscle that lies just beneath the abductor pollicis brevis. It originates from the ridge of the trapezium and from the flexor retinaculum in the wrist. The muscle narrows into a tendon that inserts in the first metacarpal bone. It is innervated by motor branches of the median nerve. The opponens pollicis is part of the thenar eminence.
Research Opponens Pollicis
The thenar eminence is a teardrop or egg-shaped mass of muscles that constitutes the ball of the thumb. It consists of the abductor pollicis brevis, flexor pollicis brevis, and opponens pollicis.
Research Thenar Eminence
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The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
©1993 - 2009 The Probert Encyclopaedia
Southampton, United Kingdom
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