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MuscleForearm & handsuperficialBeyond Cert IVDraft

Extensor carpi radialis longusMusculus extensor carpi radialis longus

Outer forearm muscle running from above the lateral epicondyle to the index finger metacarpal, extending the wrist and tilting it towards the thumb.

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LatinMusculus extensor carpi radialis longus
Origin
  • Lower third of the lateral supracondylar ridge of the humerus
  • Lateral intermuscular septum
  • A few fibres from the common extensor tendon on the lateral epicondyle
Insertion
  • Back (dorsal) surface of the base of the 2nd metacarpal, on its thumb side
Action
  • Extends the wrist
  • Abducts the wrist (radial deviation, tilting the hand towards the thumb)
  • May assist and steady elbow flexion
NerveRadial nerve (C6–C7)
GroupWrist extensors
NameLatin: the 'long straightener of the wrist (carpus) on the radius side'.

Palpation

  1. Client supine, elbow bent to about 90° and forearm in mid-position (thumb up).
  2. Find brachioradialis first on the outer elbow by resisting elbow flexion with the thumb up.
  3. Slide your fingers just behind and below brachioradialis, over the ridge above the lateral epicondyle.
  4. Ask the client to make a fist and lift the back of the hand towards the thumb side against resistance; feel the muscle firm.

Landmarks: Lateral epicondyle of humerus

Extensor carpi radialis longus is the outermost of the Wrist extensors. Together with Brachioradialis and Extensor carpi radialis brevis it forms the “mobile wad”, the three muscles you can grasp and wiggle on the outer side of the upper forearm. A gentle pincer grip of this wad is a good way to start Petrissage of the extensors.

To tell it from brachioradialis, compare resisted elbow flexion with the thumb up (brachioradialis) with resisted wrist extension towards the thumb (ECRL). It starts above the Lateral epicondyle of humerus, not on it, so it is higher than the other extensors.

It works with Flexor carpi radialis to tilt the hand towards the thumb. Its main antagonist is Flexor carpi ulnaris.

Techniques

  • Petrissage — Kneading strokes that compress, lift and squeeze the muscle away from the bone, working the tissue between the hands.
  • Stripping — A slow, deep, narrow glide along the length of a single muscle with the thumb, knuckle or elbow, pausing over tight bands on the way.
  • Cross-fibre friction — Deep, specific friction applied back and forth across the direction of a tendon, ligament or muscle's fibres, with the fingers and skin moving together as one.
  • Trigger point pressure release — Sustained thumb or finger pressure on a tender spot within a taut band of muscle, held until the client reports the discomfort easing, then slowly released.
  • Passive stretching — The therapist gently moves a relaxed limb to lengthen a muscle to a point of mild stretch and holds it there, with no effort from the client.

Works with

  • Extensor carpi radialis brevis — Wrist extensor lying just under its longer partner, running from the lateral epicondyle to the middle finger metacarpal and lifting the back of the hand.
  • Extensor carpi ulnaris — Long muscle on the back of the forearm next to the ulna that extends the wrist and tilts it towards the little finger.
  • Flexor carpi radialis — Superficial forearm muscle that runs from the medial epicondyle to the index and middle finger metacarpals, bending the wrist and tilting it towards the thumb.

Opposes

  • Flexor carpi ulnaris — Superficial muscle along the inner (little-finger) border of the forearm that bends the wrist and tilts it towards the little finger.

Same group

  • Extensor carpi radialis brevis — Wrist extensor lying just under its longer partner, running from the lateral epicondyle to the middle finger metacarpal and lifting the back of the hand.
  • Extensor carpi ulnaris — Long muscle on the back of the forearm next to the ulna that extends the wrist and tilts it towards the little finger.
  • Extensor digitorum — Muscle in the middle of the back of the forearm whose four tendons straighten the fingers and help extend the wrist.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia: Extensor carpi radialis longus muscle
  2. Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (1918), Myology 7e: The Muscles and Fasciae of the Forearm (Public domain. Used for origin detail and actions; roots C6–C7 agree with Wikipedia.)