Anatomy and function of the hypothenar muscles
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Updated: May 27, 2026

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Published on: June 16, 2022
1Department of Hand Surgery, New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases Orthopaedic Institute, 301 East 17th Street, New York City, NY 10003, USA. JohnP75@gmail.com
Abstract:
The hypothenar eminence is the thick soft tissue mass located on the ulnar side of the palm. Understanding its location and contents is important for understanding certain aspects of hand function. Variation in motor nerve distribution of the hypothenar muscles makes surgery of the ulnar side of the palm more challenging. To avoid injury to nerve branches, knowledge of these differences is imperative. This article discusses the muscular anatomy and function, vascular anatomy, and nerve anatomy and innervation of the hypothenar muscles.
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