Flexor Retinaculum of Left Wrist (Transverse Carpal Ligament) (Retinaculum flexorum manus sinister)
Educational content only — not medical advice.
Anatomy
The flexor retinaculum of the left wrist (transverse carpal ligament) is a thick, unyielding fibrous band bridging the anterior concavity of the left carpus. Anchored medially to the pisiform and hook of the hamate, and laterally to the tubercles of the scaphoid and trapezium, it converts the carpal arch into the osteofibrous carpal tunnel, which transmits the median nerve and nine flexor digitorum tendons.
Clinical notes
Increased pressure within the carpal tunnel compresses the median nerve beneath the flexor retinaculum, causing carpal tunnel syndrome with pain, paresthesias in the radial 3.5 digits, and thenar atrophy, relieved by surgical division of the retinaculum.
Related structures
Educational references
FAQ
What is the role of the Flexor Retinaculum of Left Wrist (Transverse Carpal Ligament)?
The flexor retinaculum of the left wrist (transverse carpal ligament) is a thick, unyielding fibrous band bridging the anterior concavity of the left carpus. Anchored medially to the pisiform and hook of the hamate, and laterally to the tubercles of the scaphoid and trapezium, it converts the carpal arch into the osteofibrous carpal tunnel, which transmits the median nerve and nine flexor digitorum tendons.
Why is the Flexor Retinaculum of Left Wrist (Transverse Carpal Ligament) clinically important?
Increased pressure within the carpal tunnel compresses the median nerve beneath the flexor retinaculum, causing carpal tunnel syndrome with pain, paresthesias in the radial 3.5 digits, and thenar atrophy, relieved by surgical division of the retinaculum.
Source & license
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