What You Need To Know About Thumb Tendons
It is the action of two thumb tendons which play an important part in proving us with the gift of the opposable thumb. Although we could grasp and hold on to things if we only had four fingers to work with, it is the ability of the thumb to bend toward the palm of the hand, coming into contact with the palm near the base of each of the fingers, and more importantly, allowing the tip of the thumb to come into contact with the tips of the fingers, that allows us to perform delicate and precision tasks with our hands that most other creatures are incapable of doing.
Flexor And Extensor Tendons - The two tendons of the thumb allow us to bend our thumb inwards, when grasping, or extend outwards, when hitchhiking. The tendon which allows the thumb to bend inwards is called a flexor tendon, while that which allows us to straighten the thumb out is called an extensor tendon. To understand how the tendons function, it's easiest to think of them as cables operating something like a pulley. Tendons are tough, strong, cord like tissues that attach muscle to bone. The muscles controlling the action of the thumb are actually located in the forearm rather than in the thumb itself. The thumb tendons are attached to the muscle on the forearm side of the wrist, pass through the wrist in an area known as the Carpal tunnel, and connect to a bone in the thumb, the bone being called a phalange. There are two bones or phalanges in the thumb, one on each side of the knuckle. Each of the fingers on the other hand has three bones, and each finger also has three tendons, one extensor tendon and two flexor tendons.
Injuries To Thumb Tendons - Thumb tendons can be injured, just like any other tissue, and a tendon injury is usually either due to a cut or a tear. If extensor thumb tendons are injured it can become difficult to impossible to straighten the thumb. If flexor thumb tendons are injured, and ability to bend the thumb inwards can become a problem. An injury to the thumb flexor tendon is most apt to occur if the thumb is suddenly and sharply bent backwards, causing the tendon to be strained or even ruptured. The extensor tendon is less apt to incur this type of an injury simply because it is more difficult to bend the thumb sharply inwards.
An injury to the extensor thumb tendon is most likely to result for a cut or bruise as this tendon lies very close to the surface of the skin, and is not so well protected. If a cut splits a tendon, the required treatment is often only a matter of closing the cut with stitches, but if the tendon is torn, a splint may have to be worn while the tendon is allowed to heal.
Arthritis Also A Problem For Some - An injury to one of the thumb tendons is not always necessarily the result of physical activity or an accident. Those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis occasionally suffer damage to the tendons. When the thumb tendons are involved, flexing or extending the thumbs can become difficult or painful, and in rare instances the arthritis has been known to cause the tendons to rupture.
The “Elegance” Of The Thumb Tendons - From an anatomical perspective, the thumb tendons appear quite uncomplicated in their structure. They are, but they allow us to perform an immeasurable number of different tasks with our hands. Thumb tendons could be considered anatomically elegant, simple yet powerful.