A morphometric study on flexor carpi radialis muscle of the forearm: A cadaveric study

Flexor carpi radialis (FCR) is frequently used in reconstruction procedures involving the hand and wrist regions. Despite having tremendous clinical significance, very few studies have been conducted on the heterogeneity of the FCR. Its surgical importance in grafting techniques and tendon transfers prompted us to study the morphometry of FCR.

In this study, we used 37 upper limbs (25 right and 12 left sides) of formalin embalmed cadavers. FCR was neatly dissected in all upper limbs to measure its total length, muscle belly length, tendon length, width of muscle belly at proximal and distal ends, width of tendon at proximal and distal ends.

Average total length of the muscle, muscle belly length, tendon length, width of muscle belly at the proximal end, width of muscle belly at the distal end, width of tendon at the proximal end, width of tendon at the distal end were 27.1 ± 2.13, 12.38 ± 2.23, 14.99 ± 2.36, 1.99 ± 0.72, 1.59 ± 0.48, 1.59 ± 0.48 and 0.42 ± 0.12 cm, respectively. Ratio of mean muscle length and tendon length, ratio of mean tendon length and total length were found to be 0.45 ± 0.07 and 0.55 ± 0.07, respectively. No noted variations were observed in the proximal and distal attachments of the FCR muscle.

Morphometric data of FCR reported increases the existing knowledge on the heterogeneity of FCR morphology, and further forms an anatomic basis while designing/elevating the graft in certain surgical procedures in hand and wrist regions.