Flexor retinaculum of the hand

Flexor retinaculum of the hand
The mucous sheaths of the tendons on the front of the wrist and digits. (Transverse carpal ligament labeled at center.)
The muscles of the thumb. (Trans. carpal ligament labeled at center.)
Latin	retinaculum musculorum flexorum manus, ligamentum carpi transversum
Gray's	subject #126 456
Dorlands/Elsevier	r_10/12706090

The flexor retinaculum (transverse carpal ligament, or anterior annular ligament) is a strong, fibrous band, which arches over the carpus, converting the deep groove on the front of the carpal bones into a tunnel, the carpal tunnel, through which the Flexor tendons of the digits and the median nerve pass.

It is attached, medially, to the pisiform and the hamulus of the hamate bone; laterally, to the tubercle of the scaphoid, and to the medial part of the volar surface and the ridge of the trapezium.

It is continuous, above, with the volar carpal ligament; and below, with the palmar aponeurosis. It is crossed by the ulnar vessels and nerve, and the cutaneous branches of the median and ulnar nerves.

At its lateral end is the tendon of the Flexor carpi radialis, which lies in the groove on the greater multangular between the attachments of the ligament to the bone.

On its volar surface the tendons of the Palmaris longus and Flexor carpi ulnaris are partly inserted; below, it gives origin to the short muscles of the thumb and little finger.

See also

• Peroneal retinacula
• Dorsal carpal ligament
• Extensor retinaculum of the hand

Additional images

• 

  Transverse section across the wrist and digits.

• 

  The muscles of the left hand. Palmar surface.

• 

  The radial and ulnar arteries.

External links

• SUNY Figs 08:04-08
• Hand kinesiology at UK ligaments/wvstflexret.htm
• Norman/Georgetown lesson5flexretinac&palmapon

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 As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated.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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