Opponens pollicis muscle

Musculus opponens pollicis

  • Related terms: Opponens pollicis

Definition

Origin: Trapezium and transverse carpal ligament

Insertion: Metacarpal bone of the thumb on its radial side

Nerve: Median nerve

Action: Opposition of the thumb

Description: 
The Opponens pollicis is a small, triangular muscle, lying deep to the abductor pollicis brevis and lateral to the flexor pollicis brevis. 

It arises from the ridge on the greater multangular and from the transverse carpal ligament, passes downward and lateralward, and is inserted into the whole length of the metacarpal bone of the thumb on its radial side. 

This definition incorporates text from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy (20th U.S. edition of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, published in 1918 – from http://www.bartleby.com/107/).

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