SUPERFICIAL FLEXOR OF THE FINGERS. 217 



The palmar is longus, the smallest muscle of this group, is placed between 

 the flexores carpi radialis and ulnaris, resting on the flexor sublimis: it 

 arises from the inner condyle and the intermuscular septa ; forming a small 

 muscular belly, which soon ends in a long slender tendon, inserted into 

 the palmar fascia near the middle of the wrist, and sometimes sending a 

 slip to the short muscles of the thumb. 



The palmaris longus is frequently wanting. It is subject to many variations of 

 form ; e. g. the muscular fibres may occupy the middle of the muscle, which then 

 commences and ends by an elongated tendon; or the muscular structure may be 

 placed towards the lower end, the upper part being tendinous. Occasionally there 

 are two long palmar muscles, one having the ordinary shape, while the other has one 

 of the forms above referred to. The most remarkable peculiarity is that in which a 

 small muscle, a second palmaris longus, placed nearer to the inner border of the fore- 

 arm than the usual muscle, covers the ulnar artery for some space above the carpus, 

 and terminates partly in the annular ligament or in the fascia, and partly in the 

 short muscles of the little finger. 



The flexor carpi ulnaris, the innermost muscle of the superficial group, 

 arises by two heads, one of which is attached tendinously to the inner 

 condyloid eminence of the humerus, the other to the inner side of the 

 olecrauon, and to the posterior border of the ulna for three-fourths of its 

 length, by an aponeurosis which is inseparably connected with the investing 

 aponeurosis of the limb. The fibres from the humeral head descend 

 vertically, those from the ulna pass obliquely forwards, and terminate in a 

 tendon, which, emerging from the first head, descends along the anterior 

 margin of the muscle, and is ultimately inserted into the pisiform bone : 

 this tendon is prolonged, by means of ligamentous structures, to the fifth 

 metacarpal and unciform bones, as well as to the annular ligament and 

 muscles of the little finger. 



This muscle rests on the flexor profundus digitorum. The ulnar nerve passes down 

 into the forearm in the interval between the two heads, and is then covered by the 

 muscle : for the middle part of its course the ulnar artery is also covered by it, and 

 in the lower part of the forearm, the nerve and artery, emerging from behind the 

 muscle, lie on its radial side. 



The flexor digitorum sublimis vel perforatus, the superficial flexor of the 

 fingers, is a broad flat muscle placed behind the preceding muscles, along 

 with which it takes its principal origin. It is divided inferiorly into four 

 tendons, which pass to be inserted into the second phalanx of each of the 

 four inner digits. More particularly, it arises from the inner condyle by 

 the common tendon, and the fibrous septa common to it and the other 

 muscles; from the internal lateral ligament; from the anterior surface of 

 the coronoid process at the inner side; and by a thin flat portion from 

 the oblique line and part of the anterior border of the radius. The 

 fleshy belly enlarges towards the middle of the forearm, and again 

 diminishes somewhat before its division. The four tendons pass under the 

 annular ligament of the wrist in pairs, one in front of the other; the 

 anterior pair consisting of those for the middle and ring fingers, the poste- 

 rior of those for the index and little fingers. That for the little finger is 

 smaller than the others. 



In the palm of the hand the tendons diverge, and each, accompanied by 

 a tendon of the flexor profundus, enters a fibrous sheath which binds both 

 tendons down to the palmar surface of the phalanges. Opposite the first 

 phalanx the tendon of the flexor sublimis divides into two parts, which fold 



