Which nerve innervates the intrinsic hand muscles at the base of the thumb?

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Study for the Muscle Actions and Functions – Anatomy and Movement Test. Equip yourself with multiple choice questions, each with detailed explanations and hints. Prepare confidently for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Which nerve innervates the intrinsic hand muscles at the base of the thumb?

Explanation:
Innervation of the thumb’s thenar muscles comes from the median nerve through its recurrent branch. Those thenar muscles—abductor pollicis brevis, flexor pollicis brevis, and opponens pollicis—enable the key movements of the base of the thumb (abduction, flexion, and opposition). The deep head of flexor pollicis brevis has some contribution from the ulnar nerve, and the adductor pollicis (not part of the thenar group) is also ulnar-innervated, but the main intrinsic muscles at the base of the thumb are served by the median nerve. The radial nerve does not supply these intrinsic thumb muscles.

Innervation of the thumb’s thenar muscles comes from the median nerve through its recurrent branch. Those thenar muscles—abductor pollicis brevis, flexor pollicis brevis, and opponens pollicis—enable the key movements of the base of the thumb (abduction, flexion, and opposition). The deep head of flexor pollicis brevis has some contribution from the ulnar nerve, and the adductor pollicis (not part of the thenar group) is also ulnar-innervated, but the main intrinsic muscles at the base of the thumb are served by the median nerve. The radial nerve does not supply these intrinsic thumb muscles.

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