Flexor carpi radialis

Definition

The flexor carpi radialis is a muscle in the forearm that helps in bending (flexing) the wrist and abducting (moving away from the midline of the body) the hand towards the thumb side. It runs from the humerus (upper arm bone) down to the bases of the second and third metacarpal bones in the hand.

Related terms

Humerus:

The long bone in the upper arm that serves as an attachment point for several muscles, including the flexor carpi radialis.

Metacarpal Bones: The five long bones in the hand that form its skeleton and connect to each finger, with two serving as attachment points for the flexor carpi radialis.

Flexion:

A movement that decreases the angle between two body parts; when applied to the wrist thanks to muscles like the flexor carpi radialis, it means bending it towards palm-side