Wrist & Hand Anatomy: Muscle Actions

The muscles of the wrist and fingers can be confusing but there are a few strategies to help remember them and their actions. This lecture is part of a free, 25-video series covering every facet of structural anatomy. Don’t just memorize human anatomy, master it: bit.ly/32kJ5zw
TIME-STAMPS
00:00 - Intro
00:38 - Muscles that move the wrist
01:36 - Muscles that move the phalanges (and wrist)
03:42 - Flexor Carpi Radialis
04:14 - Palmaris Longus
04:52 - Flexor Carpi Ulnaris
05:12 - Extensor Carpi Ulnaris
06:03 - Extensor Carpi Radialis Brevis
06:21 - Extensor Carpi Radialis Longus
07:07 - Flexor Digitorum Superficialis
07:30 - Flexor Digitorum Profundus
07:56 - Flexor Pollicis Longus
08:22 - Extensor Digitorum
08:43 - Extensor Indicis
09:12 - Extensor Digiti Minimi
09:36 - Extensor Pollicis Longus
10:04 - Abductor Pollicis Longus
10:30 - How best to study these muscles
11:18 - Where to Head Next
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Floyd, R. T., & Thompson, Clem. (2017). Manual of Structural Kinesiology (20th Edition). McGraw Hill.
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#anatomy #wristanatomy #DrGoodin
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Hey there kinesiology friends! Thanks for checking out this video-it’s part of a playlist that covers every major region of the body: including bony landmarks, joint movements, and muscle actions. You can find that here: bit.ly/2GOtjVf
Additionally, check out my Kinesiology Concepts playlist where I spend 5-10 minutes simplifying important kinesiology concepts: bit.ly/3mgKy1K
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Have a great day and remember to move well, live well, and teach others to do the same!
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Dr. Jacob Goodin is a professor of kinesiology at Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU), and holds a PhD in Sport Physiology and Performance from East Tennessee State University. He has over a decade of experience as a strength and conditioning coach and sport scientist from the high school to NCAA Division I levels. In addition to his role as a professor and research mentor, Dr. Goodin directs the Athlete Monitoring Initiative at PLNU, which provides testing and monitoring services to over 200 athletes yearly as well as research opportunities for kinesiology students.
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[@MaryErickson335]

It's so nice that the names help to know the location and the action of the muscle. Big thank you to whoever named them!

[@SkylervandenBerg]

I appreciate how you separate the muscles into groups based on similar functions, it makes it easier to study and form mental maps.

[@isabellecousineau302]

I like how you specifically showed pictures of the muscle actions which helps me understand the material more clearly.

[@joshcombs123]

Im grateful for the names of the majority of the flexors and extensors. Finally some names that actually help us remember

[@vanessaviramontesPLNU]

Dr. Goodin, There were lots of muscles to learn in this video but amazingly you always manage to make it short and sweet. Thank you!

[@dianalira6870]

There are so many muscles in the wrist and hand. I appreciated how you try to break down what they do by just looking at the name. It actually does make it a lot easier.

[@faithsanchez7000]

The fact that the names coincide with their location and function really makes learning these muscles much easier!

[@gracehalcomb]

Learning all of the muscles isn't as overwhelming as I thought because the names are so descriptive and can help break everything down into where they are located and what they do. I also appreciated you drawing over the pictures of the muscles because this made everything more clear to visualize.

[@hannahlien5137]

The organization of the slides was really helpful because the muscles were grouped by their names, and thus their actions, which makes memorizing them much easier.

[@katie6117]

This video was a nice review of all the muscles of the hand and wrist. I especially appreciate how it’s organized, very straightforward.

[@kylesands9693]

Some many muscles in such a small area, the complexity of the human body is truly amazing!

[@emmasanchez5975]

I didn't realize how many muscles work together to move the wrist and hand. It's very interesting to me.

[@kaileegross7476]

The aspects of the hands and wrist are so underrated! It's crazy how many bones, tendons, and muscles are tightly packed in such as small space.

[@ilsechavez]

I really like that the names of each muscle can tell you a lot, such as their action and location for the most part.

[@user-gr6lz9hp7s]

I really appreciate that when you described the muscles of the wrist and and fingers you had the anatomical diagram of them up to describe the line of pull with each muscle. It helps a lot to understand where the muscles are attaching to infer what their actions will be.

[@marqquiambao9757]

I appreciate that when talking about a specific muscle, only that muscle was highlighted. In the forearm, the muscles are very compact together, so it was very helpful.

[@user-rd2fj3lw6m]

Discovering all the muscles isn't as daunting as I initially anticipated because their names are highly descriptive, aiding in understanding their locations and functions. Additionally, your illustrations overlaid on the muscle images were greatly appreciated as they provided a clearer visualization of the concepts.

[@nicolelewis3329]

Thank you for painting a clear picture of how these muscles work! I think by understanding the roots in their names, it really helps to memorize their primary movement function.

[@ryanharris8481]

I enjoy how most of the muscles have their action in their name, it makes it easier to identify the different muscles that act on the wrist and hand.

[@LukeMoore-cx4iz]

I like how you connected the names of the muscles with what they do. This helps to group muscles together which is better for studying.

[@joyshang5670]

I like how the muscles include the action and location of the body in the name! It makes it much easier to study and memorize.

[@laurenhufault367]

Breaking down the names of the muscles really helped with understanding where they're located and what their functions are. Goes to show that taking the time to understand something ends up saving more time than trying to memorize it later!

[@HBchun]

My hand and wrist flexor and extensor muscles got a workout from taking notes on this video! Crazy that there are so many muscles working together to provide wrist and hand movements!

[@DrJacobGoodin]

I see what you did there Chris!

[@makennans]

It's definitely a nice study tip to see how most of these names help tell us the action of the muscle.

[@lilyhodgins9140]

Enjoying the new material that hasn't been covered in my previous anatomy and Kin classes

[@shannontingleff]

I like how you separated the muscles into different groups based on what they do, it helps me keep them separate in my mind as well to keep track of them all and their actions

[@clairemasterson6031]

It is definitely nice how the names of the muscles give away a lot of information about them.

[@dylanjames8927]

I liked how you clearly explained the location of each muscle and gave a visual of the muscles action when you were talking about each muscle. It helped me connect from what I was reading on the slide to what the actions really looked like.

[@kelli-lynroche8446]

The breakdown of the wrist and forearm muscles is very helpful, as well as the relation between the names and the location and movement.

[@Knepperpepper33]

I like how the name can sometimes correlate with its action and the location! Great video!

[@makennakaczmarczyk7563]

I learned that breaking down the words for each muscles is a key tool in remembering the muscles with their actions!

[@catherinegallegos2918]

There are definitely a lot of muscles in the wrist and hand, but I appreciate you giving tips on how to best study and memorize them!

[@user-iu5ez9tb4u]

I really enjoy how you seperate each muscle into categories based on their action, it really helps remember them. Also all your explanations of the root words based on origin was very informative.

[@madelinehernandez8838]

It is so helpful that the muscles have hints in the names, such as flexor digitorum profundus --> flexor finger, deep to the superficialis.

[@Monaz185]

I do agree the best way to understand and memorize these muscles are by understanding their names! Very helpful and easy to understand!

[@user-ft4jt4zm7u]

Having the picture of the muscles action was helpful in studying and remembering the actions

[@oliviashaw3148]

Good advice to not just memorize the muscle actions, but to learn how the name can help you tell what their actions are. Also, as per usual with these videos, it was very helpful to have the information organized in such a way that is straight forward.

[@gisellemedina4597]

The hand muscles have always been a little confusing to me and a lot to remember but the more and more I hear and learn about them the easier it gets. Good video!

[@laurenmayheww]

I appreciated walking through the meaning of each name before showing the pictures so that I can visualize where the muscles would be and what they would do since the names are indicative of their location.

[@audreyoates3242]

It's very helpful that the location and function go hand in hand with the name! That is super useful in trying to memorize and understand the action, function and location.

[@celinegriffin3244]

I liked the way that you broke down each muscle and then separating between the extensors and the flexor muscles with their actions. It was a great refresher!

[@laurenomalley2778]

It's really helpful that the names actually give a clue as to wear they cross and are located!

[@PLNUstephaniekhin]

I had taken anatomy two years ago so these videos are a very good refresher. I think this is very helpful when having the muscles differentiate.

[@jamarmack9626]

Learning the different names within the muscle like "carpi" really helps me remember where the muscles are located!

[@ClaireStone-jq4wg]

It makes sense that we need so many different muscles in our hands and wrists for fine motor movements but it is crazy to see them all and their actions.

[@matthewwadley4348]

The final portion of the video actually helped me really narrow down how to study for these muscles and their actions. Memoriziation has always been a tough thing for me to do for anatomy because of how many different names and functions that there are.

[@madelinejewelnebril2871]

I really like your tip on memorizing the names to indicate their actions! I found it very helpful to study the muscles and where they would be located.

[@anthonymartinez8962]

I liked how before you dove into the actions of each muscle you broke down some of the names of the muscles which indicated some of the movements it was responsible for, it makes remembering the actions a lot easier!

[@evakoutelieris9550]

I really liked how for this lecture the muscles were grouped by flexor and extensor it makes it very helpful when trying to connect everything and get a good understanding.

[@KaitlynJungers]

This is a great refresher on A&P, however I now understand a bit more about these muscles and their actions.

[@aliciabaezpelayo1314]

Breaking down the muscle names is helpful especially when distinguishing which muscles move what. It was also helpful that you separated the muscles by their actions and whether they move the wrist or hand, this is helpful to remember the many different muscles in this section.

[@lisahopoi9029]

This video really helps to clarify which muscle groups work together to produce the same actions. There's a lot to learn in this section, but this video related the muscles to each other which will help to memorize it all a bit easier.

[@timnoveda4004]

I like how you separated the extensor and flexor muscles when discussing them. I feel like it will help me remember their actions and locations better.

[@delaneyroche227]

Its kind of crazy how many muscles are involved in wrist flexion and extension and just all of the movements of the wrist. Our body's are so intricately designed to perform so many functions, its cool to learn about.

[@CarlosRodriguez-yt9rv]

Love the way the muscles are named, like the flexor and extensor muscles. Makes it a bit easier to memorize what actions they do!

[@user-fj4of3pi1l]

The hand muscles are very intertwined but the images and descriptions helped me pick apart each muscle and be able to better identify with the origin and insertion of the muscles. Which also helps a lot with the actions that accompany each muscle.

[@analisabaez-pelayo5914]

I like the way you separated all the muscles and explained little clues to make it easier to know what each muscle does and where you can find it. I like that you emphasized that anything that does finger flexion does wrist flexion and anything that does finger extension also does wrist extension. Great video for studying and remembering these muscles!

[@alexissoncrant130]

Very beneficial to have the background knowledge that the muscles and their names are directly connected. This will be so helpful when memorizing the different actions of each one

[@oliviawong7538]

I've always had trouble with the muscles of the forearm that act on the wrist and hand joints, but this video has been super helpful in differentiating each one with its actions, origins, and insertions. This is definitely a video I will be coming back to for additional understanding and studying.

[@hannahchacon9621]

Being able to use my prior knowledge from anatomy definitely helps me understand all the muscle actions better. Its also very helpful that most of the names of these muscles also explain the movement they perform.

[@user-fc3rt5mq8x]

The various muscles were well explained and organized in a way I could follow and understand. There are a lot of muscles to recall, and this video was in depth and easy to follow which I could easily go back and study again!

[@Justin-bo4cx]

The extensors and flexors all being on corresponding sides with the joint movement makes it a lot simpler to understand!

[@matthewdato]

I didn't realize how much muscles are involved in our wrists and hands! It's fascinating though that there's groups of muscles that handle one finger and groups of muscles that do specific actions!

[@ellieconiaris9073]

This makes the muscles i knew from anatomy and other KIN classes make a lot more sense and hearing them according to their groups was helpful

[@KylanJohnson-hu1lr]

This was really helpful review to remember all the muscles of the wrist and hand. It is also very nice that some of the muscles are named after the action and placement of them.

[@calebussery5319]

I think knowing a framework, like you described, will be super helpful when remembering what muscle is where and what action it performs.

[@alejandrorivera3497]

The description and action showing of the muscles helped tremendously in understanding! Thank you!

[@sydneycheng2264]

I appreciate adding in the best way to study and remember all the muscles - it was definitely a lot of information but by categorizing I think it will help a lot!

[@BrianaReynoso]

I really like the format of the video! It allows me to take well-formatted notes on the functions, which helps me study effectively

[@luciavaldez2601]

This muscle description video was super helpful for me. It allowed me to piece together how each muscle group relates to its specific movement. for example, the flexor pollicis longus allows for flexion of the wrist as well as wrist abduction.

[@mollytucker567]

I really liked in this video how you explained what certain terms meant so we can remember the muscles better. This video was very helpful in understanding the muscle actions of the fingers and wrist!

[@julianasum8481]

The hand and wrist muscles are complex and can often get very overwhelming. The organization of the muscles, especially the finger muscles was conducive to my learning. Since I interned at a hand therapy clinic over the summer, this video on hand and wrist muscles helped relate to what I learned over the summer.

[@joshwillbanks851]

I found this video really helpful as an overview of the wrist extensors especially. It is easy to overlook some with so much to know in this area, so thank you for being so specific in the actions!

[@NoelleDarquea]

I have never heard of some of those muscles before, I also didnt know that each one of the muscles could do more than one movement. A lot to learn!

[@macynunez4455]

The organization of this video really helped me to better understand and categorize each muscle and its actions! I appreciate the names of the muscles and their relation to their location!

[@thelmasepulveda4481]

I think that despite there being so many muscles in our hand and wrist, the names will help me determine their location and what they do which is super helpful!

[@hannahkefalas9995]

There are so many muscles!!! It's nice that the names help with remembering the movements.

[@maceygroves6031]

This video was awesome in helping simplify all the wrist and hand muscles. There are so many muscles so it can get really overwhelming but this video made it so much easier to understand.

[@braedenmoore3743]

These muscles in the wrist and hand I remember being the hardest for me to remember in anatomy last year so this was a good refresher and I'll definitely need to be studying them again.

[@chaseplott3199]

I found this video interesting because it was more in-depth than the material I learned previously.I briefly went over the muscles in hand for anatomy. The information stuck with me after watching the lecture.

[@JamesAdams-fu2lp]

I is super helpful to remember the roots of some of these anatomical terms! For example, remembering that carpi means wrist, digitorum means fingers, and pollicis means thumb.

[@hunterlong2817]

Splitting each of the wrist and hand muscles into categories was very helpful, particularly when it came to separating flexors and extensors. For example, grouping wrist flexors on the anteromedial side now help me visualize the location and, by default, function.

[@trevortonge5687]

Very thankful that the key muscle groups all originate from essentially the same place. It feels so much simpler than areas pf the body like the shoulder where it feels like each muscle originates and inserts in a completely unique place

[@sofiawallauch1078]

It was really helpful how you broke down each muscle's name and explained what it meant. For the flexor digitorum superficialis, the word digitiorum relates to digits which means fingers, and the word superficialis means superficial or on the surface.

[@evaozimec]

I found it very helpful when you explained how the names of the muscles indicate to which part of the hand its located on and it also helps me learn their actions.

[@ericagurr9008]

I found this video to be very helpful in piecing together what I learned in regular anatomy and what I am learning for this class! I knew where most of these muscles were previously, but now I feel like I understand more about their actions, and how the name of the muscle can indicate specific functions.

[@taylorrobertson8274]

The wrist and hand muscles are so intricate and amazing! Loved the study tips at the end, there are a lot of small muscles to memorize.

[@jonathanrobyn2450]

Thanks Dr. Goodin! I appreciate the memorization tip at the end. Super helpful to chunk information.

[@brimonzon1702]

Great video! Thanks for all the visuals of the muscles especially at the insertions of the fingers

[@mackenziehustead4037]

I really appreciated how each of the muscles were grouped together as flexors or extensors of the wrist or the phalanges. There are a lot of muscles to memorize, but the way you covered them and sorted them was very helpful.

[@emmaforney5084]

I liked that this video delved deeper into what we learned in BIO 1030. We learned most of these muscles; however, muscles such as the flexor pollicis longus were new!

[@bellakrassow8960]

There is a ton of muscles in the wrist and fingers that I have never even heard of! Thank you for explaining them all and adding pictures of where they are located. I find it interesting that theres the exact same muscle name and actions but one extensor version and ones flexor version.

[@ahsaancooke8385]

I like how he pointed out the relation between muscles that do finger flexion and how most also do wrist flexion

[@emilymerkes8707]

In this video, Dr. Goodin goes over the muscles of the wrist and fingers and their actions. While discussing the different muscles, he parsed the long names of the muscles which really helped in my understanding of the muscles and will help in memorizing them. One main point I got from it is that all finger flexors/extensors also flex/extend the wrist as they cross the wrist. And some wrist muscles also do weak flexion or extension on the elbow joint.

[@chynnakifer1218]

A lot of the muscles sound similar! The way you broke it down so we could understand help a lot to visualize and think about!

[@jessedemuth4289]

Wow, there are so many little muscles in the wrist and hand. That was a good tip to think about the name to understand the function.

[@RoryPeters]

The way yiu structure the video is very helpful and makes it 1000% easier to understand!

[@caleighgarcia7792]

This was a good video for refreshing my mind about the muscles I learned from anatomy. I forgot how complicated these muscles can be!

[@colewaclawski540]

It is cool that names of the muscles correspond to their location for the most part!

[@tsalazar0020]

I enjoyed watching this video! It was interesting to see the different muscle actions and how many muscles are involved for certain movements.