Thursday, April 12, 2007 

Neck pain| finger flexion| thumb extension 

Patients with neck pain can have pain in the fingers with difficulty in making a fist. The fingers need to be folded into the hand to make a fist. 

This movement is performed by the flexor digitorum superficialis which bends the joints between the first and second phalanges.  This muscle is supplied by the median nerve (C8,T1) 

The flexor digitorum profundus muscle is responsible for bending the fingers at the knuckle joints and the joints between the phalanges.   The flexor digitorum profundus slips to the index and middle fingers are supplied by the anterior interosseous branch of the median nerve (C7, C8). The flexor digitorum profundus slips to the ring and little fingers are supplied by the ulnar nerve (C8, T1). 

When the fist making is not too tight, the thumb is extended through the action of the extensor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis supplied by the radial nerve (C7, C8). The wrist has to be stabilized by the contraction of the wrist extensors supplied by the posterior interosseous branch of the radial nerve. 

The wrist extensors are the extensor carpi radialis longus and brevis, extensor digitorum and the extensor carpi ulnaris muscles.  

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Tags: upper body topics
Categories: Upper Body Topics