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Muscles

Muscles of The Upper Limb:

  • Shoulder Muscles

  • Arm Muscles

  • Forearm Muscles

  • Hand Muscles

 

The upper limb muscles covered in this section will be covered in a systematic way, region by region. If you haven't checked 'The Upper Limb Regions' section before this then you might find it helpful to do so.

 

  • The nerve innervations for the muscles that you need to know will be covered in this section.

  • The course that these nerves run will be covered in the 'Nerves' subsection of 'Neurovasculature' subsection.

  • The individual muscle actions will covered in the 'Joints' section explaining the muscle movement on individual joints.

 

All shoulder muscles are shown in the photo below allowing you to compare where they are in relation to on another. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anterior axioappendicular muscles

 

  • Pectoralis major

  • Pectoralis minor

  • Serratus anterior- supplied by long thoracic nerve

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posterior axioappendicular muscles

 

Superficial posterior axioappendicular muscles:

  • Trapezius- supplied by spinal accessory nerve (CN XI)

  • Lattisimus dorsi

 

Deep Posterior axioappendicular muscles:

  • Levator scapulae

  • Rhomboid major

  • Rhomboid minor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scapulohumeral muscles

 

Rotator cuff muscles:

  • Supraspinatus

  • Infraspinatus

  • Teres minor- supplied by axillary nerve

  • Subscapularis 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other scapulohumeral muscles:

  • Deltoid (visible in top photo)- supplied by axillary nerve

  • Teres major- supplied by subscapular nerve

 

 

Shoulder Muscles

Anterior/Flexor compartment of arm

 

  • Biceps brachii (long and short head)

  • Corachobrachialis

  • Brachialis

All innervated by musculocutaneous nerve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posterior/Extensor compartment of arm

 

  • Triceps brachii (lateral, medial & long head)

  • Anconeus

All innervated by radial nerve.

 

Arm Muscles

Anterior/Flexor compartment of foreaarm

 

All anterior compartment of forearm muscles are shown in the photo below allowing you to compare where they are in relation to on another. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Superficial anterior forearm muscles:

  • Pronator teres

  • Flexor carpi radialis

  • Palmaris longus

  • Flexor carpi ulnaris

All innervated by median nerve except flexor carpi ulnaris (innervated by ulnar nerve).

 

 

Intermediate anterior forearm muscles:

  • Flexor digitorum superficialis

All innervated by median nerve.

 

 

Deep anterior forearm muscles:

  • Flexor digitorum profundus

  • Flexor pollicis longus

  • Pronator quadratus

All innervated by median nerve except digits 4 and 5 of flexor digitorum profundus (innervated by ulnar nerve).

 

 

NOTE:

  • Brachioradialis- part of posterior compartment but causes flexion

Innervated by the radial nerve.

 

 

 

 

Posterior/Extensor compartment of foreaarm

 

All posterior compartment of forearm muscles are shown in the photo below allowing you to compare where they are in relation to one another. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hands/wrist posterior forearm muscles:

  • Supinator

  • Extensor carpi radialis longus

  • Extensor carpi radialis brevis

  • Extensor carpi ulnaris

All innervated by radial nerve.

 

 

Digits/fingers posterior forearm muscles:

  • Extensor digitorum

  • Extensor indicis

  • Extensor digiti minimi

All innervated by radial nerve.

 

Thumb posterior forearm muscles:

  • Extensor pollicis longus

  • Extensor pollicis brevis

  • Abductor pollicis longus

All innervated by radial nerve.

Forearm Muscles

Thenar compartment of hand

 

  • Flexor pollicis brevis

  • Abductor pollicis brevis

  • Opponens pollicis

All innervated by median nerve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hypothenar compartment of hand

 

  • Flexor digiti minimi

  • Abductor digiti minimi

  • Opponens digiti minimi

All innervated by ulnar nerve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adductor compartment of hand

 

  • Adductor pollicis

Innervated by ulnar nerve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lumbricals compartment of hand

 

  • 4 lumbricals (originate form flexor digitorum profundus)

Lumbricals 1 & 2 innervated by median nerve.

Lumbricals 3 & 4 innervated by ulnar nerve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interossei compartment of hand

 

  • 3 palmar interossei (2, 4, 5)

  • 4 dorsal interossei

All innervated by ulnar nerve.

Hand Muscles

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