Palmaris longus (Musculus palmaris longus)
Educational content only — not medical advice.
Anatomy
A feeble muscle from the medial epicondyle ending in a long flat tendon that fans into the palmar aponeurosis; absent in ~14% of people — the classic anatomical variant.
Origin & insertion
Medial epicondyle via the common flexor tendon.
Action
Flexes the wrist and tenses the palmar aponeurosis to improve grip purchase.
Innervation
Median nerve (C7–C8).
Clinical notes
Its prominent subcutaneous tendon (thumb opposition with wrist flexion) makes it the favourite donor graft for flexor-tendon reconstruction.
Related structures
Educational references
FAQ
What is the role of the Palmaris longus?
A feeble muscle from the medial epicondyle ending in a long flat tendon that fans into the palmar aponeurosis; absent in ~14% of people — the classic anatomical variant.
Why is the Palmaris longus clinically important?
Its prominent subcutaneous tendon (thumb opposition with wrist flexion) makes it the favourite donor graft for flexor-tendon reconstruction.
Source & license
BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science licensed under CC Attribution 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). license details