Flexor digitorum profundus muscle

Flexor digitorum profundus muscle
Ventral view of the deep muscles of the forearm. FDP is shown in blue.
Details
Origin	upper 3/4 of the anterior and medial surfaces of the body of the ulna, interosseous membrane and deep fascia of the forearm
Insertion	base of the distal phalanges of the fingers
Artery	anterior interosseous artery
Nerve	median (anterior interosseous), muscular branches of ulnar
Actions	flex hand and both interphalangeal joints
Antagonist	Extensor digitorum muscle
Identifiers
Latin	Musculus flexor digitorum profundus
Dorlands /Elsevier	m_22/12549089
TA	A04.6.02.036
FMA	38478
Anatomical terms of muscle []

In human anatomy, the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP, Latin for "deep bender of the fingers") is a muscle in the forearm that flexes the fingers (also known as digits). It is considered an extrinsic hand muscle because it acts on the hand while its muscle belly is located in the forearm. Together the flexor pollicis longus, pronator quadratus, and flexor digitorum profundus form the deep layer of ventral forearm muscles.

Flexor digitorum profundus originates in the upper 3/4 of the anterior and medial surfaces of the ulna, interosseous membrane and deep fascia of the forearm. The muscle fans out into four tendons (one to each of the second to fifth fingers) to the palmar base of the distal phalanx.

Along with the flexor digitorum superficialis, it has long tendons that run down the arm and through the carpal tunnel and attach to the palmar side of the phalanges of the fingers.

Flexor digitorum profundus lies deep to the superficialis, but it attaches more distally. Therefore, profundus's tendons go through the tendons of superficialis, and end up attaching to the distal phalanx. For this reason profundus is also called the perforating muscle.

The lumbricals of the hand arise from the radial side of its tendons.

Flexor digitorum profundus is a composite muscle innervated by the anterior interosseous nerve and ulnar nerves.

It is one of two flexor muscles that is not exclusively supplied by the median nerve (the other is flexor carpi ulnaris).