Extensor digiti minimi muscle

Extensor digiti minimi
The mucous sheaths of the tendons on the back of the wrist. (Extensor digiti quinti proprius labeled at center left.)
Latin	musculus extensor digiti minimi
Gray's	subject #125 451
Origin:	the anterior portion of the lateral epicondyle of the humerus (common extensor tendon)
Insertion:	at the extensor expansion, located at the base of the proximal phalanx of the finger on the dorsal side
Artery:	the posterior interosseous artery which originates from the common interosseous artery and more proximally, the ulnar artery
Nerve:	posterior interosseous nerve (C7, 8)
Action:	extends the little finger at all joints
Antagonist:	Flexor digiti minimi brevis
Dorlands/Elsevier	m_22/12548878

The extensor minimi digiti (extensor digiti quinti proprius) is a slender muscle of the forearm, placed on the medial side of the Extensor digitorum communis, with which it is generally connected.

It arises from the common Extensor tendon by a thin tendinous slip, from the intermuscular septa between it and the adjacent muscles.

Its tendon runs through a compartment of the dorsal carpal ligament behind the distal radio-ulnar joint, then divides into two as it crosses the hand, and finally joins the expansion of the Extensor digitorum communis tendon on the dorsum of the first phalanx of the little finger.

Variations

An additional fibrous slip from the lateral epicondyle; the tendon of insertion may not divide or may send a slip to the ring finger.

Absence of muscle rare; fusion of the belly with the Extensor digitorum communis not uncommon.

Additional images

• 

  Bones of left forearm. Posterior aspect.

• Musculusextensordigitiminimi.png

  Posterior surface of the forearm. Superficial muscles.

• 

  Transverse section across distal ends of radius and ulna.

• 

  Transverse section across the wrist and digits.

External links

• LUC edm
• UWASH extdigitiminimi
• Hand kinesiology at UK muscles/eeextdigmini.htm

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

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