Opponens Digiti Minimi Muscle of Hand
Musculus opponens digiti minimi manus
Read moreQuick Facts
Origin: Hook of hamate bone and flexor retinaculum of hand.
Insertion: Medial aspect of fifth metacarpal bone.
Action: Opposes little finger towards thumb.
Innervation: Deep branch of ulnar nerve (C8-T1).
Arterial Supply: Deep palmar branch of ulnar artery and deep palmar arch.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The opponens digiti minimi muscle of hand originates from the:
- hook of hamate bone;
- flexor retinaculum of hand.
Insertion
The fibers of the opponens digiti minimi muscle of hand travel inferolaterally and insert onto the medial aspect of fifth metacarpal bone.
Key Features & Anatomical Relations
The opponens digiti minimi muscle of hand is found in the hypothenar compartment of the hand. It is a short, triangular skeletal muscle. It is located:
- anterior (superficial) to the fifth metacarpal bone;
- posterior (deep) to the abductor digiti minimi and flexor digiti minimi muscles of hand.
Actions & Testing
The opponens digiti minimi muscle of hand opposes the little finger towards the thumb. This movement consists of:
- lateral rotation of the fifth metacarpal bone at the fifth carpometacarpal joint;
- flexion of the fifth metacarpal bone at the fifth carpometacarpal joint.
The opponens digiti minimi muscle of hand can be tested by opposing the little finger to the thumb (Standring, 2016).
References
Standring, S. (2016) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Gray's Anatomy Series 41st edn.: Elsevier Limited.
