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Opponens pollicis
Other Terms:
Musculus opponens pollicis,
Muscle opposant du pouce
Muscle parts
None
Latin name
Musculus opponens pollicis
Latin muscle parts
None
Group
Hand muscle – thenar group
Etymology
In English, this muscle’s name is the muscle that places the thumb on the opposite side of the hand. The word opponens comes from the Latin opponere meaning “to oppose,” which in turn comes from the Latin terms ob meaning “against” and ponere meaning “to place.”The Latin pollex meaning “thumb” arises from the Latin polleo meaning “to be strong,” as the thumb was the strongest of the fingers.
Origin
Tubercle of the trapezium bone and the flexor retinaculum.
Insertion
Anterior and lateral surfaces of the shaft of first metacarpal bone.
Action
Flexes and rotates toward the little finger (opposes) the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb.
Nerve supply
Median nerve (C8 and T1) with contributions from ulnar nerve (C8 and T1)
Blood supply
Numerous arteries supply the muscle including the superficial palmar branch of the radial artery, the first palmar metacarpal artery, princeps pollicis artery, radialis indicis artery, and the deep palmar arch.
Latin
Musculus opponens pollicis
French
Muscle opposant du pouce