Flexor digitorum profundus muscle
Flexor digitorum profundus muscle
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Flexor digitorum profundus muscle

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Flexor digitorum profundus muscle

The flexor digitorum profundus or flexor digitorum communis profundus is a muscle in the forearm of humans that flexes the fingers (also known as digits). It is considered an extrinsic hand muscle because it acts on the hand while its muscle belly is located in the forearm.

Together the flexor pollicis longus, pronator quadratus, and flexor digitorum profundus form the deep layer of ventral forearm muscles. The muscle is named from Latin 'deep bender of the fingers'.

Flexor digitorum profundus originates in the upper 3/4 of the anterior and medial surfaces of the ulna, interosseous membrane and deep fascia of the forearm. The muscle fans out into four tendons (one to each of the second to fifth fingers) to the palmar base of the distal phalanx.

Along with the flexor digitorum superficialis, it has long tendons that run down the arm and through the carpal tunnel and attach to the palmar side of the phalanges of the fingers.

Flexor digitorum profundus lies deep to the superficialis, but it attaches more distally. Therefore, profundus's tendons go through the tendons of superficialis, and end up attaching to the distal phalanx. For this reason profundus is also called the perforating muscle.

The lumbricals of the hand arise from the radial side of its tendons.

Flexor digitorum profundus is a composite muscle innervated by the anterior interosseous nerve and ulnar nerves.

It is one of two flexor muscles that is not exclusively supplied by the median nerve (the other is flexor carpi ulnaris). In the forearm, the median nerve travels distally between the flexor digitorum superficialis and the flexor digitorum profundus.

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