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MuscleForearm & handsuperficialBeyond Cert IVDraft

Extensor carpi ulnarisMusculus 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.

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LatinMusculus extensor carpi ulnaris
Origin
  • Humeral head: lateral epicondyle of the humerus (common extensor tendon)
  • Ulnar head: posterior border of the ulna (via an aponeurosis shared with neighbouring muscles)
Insertion
  • Base of the 5th metacarpal, on its little-finger side
Action
  • Extends the wrist
  • Adducts the wrist (ulnar deviation, tilting the hand towards the little finger)
NervePosterior interosseous nerve (deep branch of the radial nerve) (C7–C8)
GroupWrist extensors
NameLatin: the 'straightener of the wrist (carpus) on the ulna side'.

Palpation

  1. Client supine or seated with the forearm palm down and supported.
  2. Find the sharp posterior border of the ulna and place your fingers just to the thumb side of it.
  3. Ask the client to lift the back of the hand and tilt it towards the little finger against resistance.
  4. Feel the tendon just beyond the knob of the ulna at the back of the wrist, running to the base of the 5th metacarpal; follow the belly back up to the lateral epicondyle.

Landmarks: Lateral epicondyle of humerus · Olecranon

Extensor carpi ulnaris is the inner-border member of the Wrist extensors. It runs along the back of the ulna from the Lateral epicondyle of humerus to the little-finger side of the wrist. Trace it by following the bony ridge of the ulna from the Olecranon down to the wrist and working just beside it.

It pairs with Flexor carpi ulnaris to tilt the hand towards the little finger, and opposes Flexor carpi radialis. It also steadies the wrist during gripping, so it can feel tight in clients who use a mouse or racquet a lot.

Sources differ slightly: Wikipedia gives roots C7–C8 (used here); Gray’s (1918) gives C7. Wikipedia’s infobox also lists the olecranon and forearm fascia as part of the ulnar-head origin, while its text gives only the posterior border of the ulna.

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

Opposes

  • 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.

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 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.
  • 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 ulnaris muscle
  2. Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (1918), Myology 7e: The Muscles and Fasciae of the Forearm (Public domain. Used for actions; gives the seventh cervical nerve only.)