List of flexors of the body

List of Flexors of the Human Body

The human body comprises various muscles that enable movement by contracting and relaxing. Among these, flexor muscles play a crucial role in bending or flexing parts of the body. This article provides a comprehensive list of flexor muscles, categorized by the body part they act upon.

Flexors of the Upper Limb

The upper limb flexors are primarily responsible for the bending movements of the arm, forearm, wrist, and fingers.

Arm

• Biceps Brachii: A major muscle of the upper arm that flexes the elbow and supinates the forearm.
• Brachialis: Acts primarily to flex the elbow.

Forearm

• Pronator Teres: Assists in pronating and flexing the forearm.
• Flexor Carpi Radialis: Flexes and abducts the wrist.
• Flexor Carpi Ulnaris: Flexes and adducts the wrist.
• Palmaris Longus: Flexes the wrist. This muscle is absent in some individuals.

Hand

• Flexor Digitorum Superficialis: Flexes the middle phalanges of the fingers.
• Flexor Digitorum Profundus: Flexes the distal phalanges of the fingers.
• Flexor Pollicis Longus: Flexes the thumb.

Flexors of the Lower Limb

The lower limb flexors facilitate movements such as bending the hip, knee, and toes.

Hip

• Iliopsoas: A major hip flexor, composed of the Iliacus and Psoas Major muscles.
• Rectus Femoris: Part of the Quadriceps Femoris group, it flexes the hip and extends the knee.

Knee

• Hamstrings: A group of three muscles (Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus, Semimembranosus) that flex the knee and extend the hip.

Foot

• Tibialis Posterior: Supports the arch and flexes the foot at the ankle.
• Flexor Digitorum Longus: Flexes the toes.
• Flexor Hallucis Longus: Flexes the big toe.

Flexors of the Trunk

Flexors of the trunk are involved in bending and flexing movements of the spine and abdomen.

• Rectus Abdominis: Flexes the lumbar spine and compresses the abdominal cavity.
• External Oblique, Internal Oblique, and Transversus Abdominis: These muscles work together to flex and rotate the trunk.

See Also

• Muscular System
• Skeletal Muscle
• Anatomy of the Human Body