A Historical Review on the Muscle of Cruveilhier

Main Article Content

M. Ashraf Aziz Samuel S. Dunlap Janine M. Ziermann

Abstract

Despite the fact that the human thumb has been investigated intensely with reference to its functional morphology, controversies remain; for example, regarding the muscle of Cruveilhier (deep head of the flexor pollicis brevis). Originally described in 1749, the human flexor pollicis brevis (FPB) only received special attention since Cruveilhier described it in 1834 as having a superficial and a deep head. Since then the existence of Cruveilhier’s deep head has been debated. By 1920 five views existed: 1. The deep head is not part of FPB because of its nerve supply; 2. It became extinct and was replaced by a slip from the oblique adductor pollicis; 3. It is a part of the “composite” FPB and is synonymous with Henle’s "interosseous volaris primus”; 4. The deep head received ontogenetically myofibrils from the primordial flexores breves medius and from the adductor (contrahentes) muscle plates; and 5. The deep head, “Henle’s muscle”, and oblique adductor pollicis are distinct muscles. In the 1960s Day and Napier revealed variations of the insertion and innervation of the deep head, but did not delineate their deep head from the "Henle’s muscle" or the adductor pollicis. They hypothesized, that the shift of the deep head’s insertion from ulnar to radial facilitated “true opposability” in anthropoids. We revealed that there are still new aspects to the story of this muscle, including new interpretations / conclusions regarding its development and evolution. The history of the investigations around this muscle is a fascinating story showing the next generation of anatomists the importance of detailed observation combined with the knowledge of several fields (anthropology, developmental biology, functional morphology, etc.). We discuss the muscles’ functional significance for the evolution of the precision grip and why – with respect to surgery (replantation) - it is important to know the anatomical details of this muscle.

Article Details

How to Cite
AZIZ, M. Ashraf; DUNLAP, Samuel S.; ZIERMANN, Janine M.. A Historical Review on the Muscle of Cruveilhier. Medical Research Archives, [S.l.], v. 5, n. 3, mar. 2017. ISSN 2375-1924. Available at: <https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/1052>. Date accessed: 28 mar. 2024.
Keywords
flexor pollicis brevis; nerve-muscle specificity; precision grip;
Section
Research Articles

References

Abramowitz I. 1955. On the existence of a palmar interosseous muscle in the thumb with particular reference to the Bantu-speaking Negro. S Afr J Sci 51:270-276.

Albinus BS, Bell A, Wandelaar J, Balfour J, Smellie W, Bell A, Balfour J, Smellie W. 1749. Tables of the Skeleton and Muscles of the Human Body: Balfour & Smellie.

Anson BJ. 1966. Morris Human Anatomy. New York: McGraw - Hill.

Ashley‐Montagu FM. 1931. On the primate thumb. Am J Phys Anthr 15:291-314.

ASSH. 2016. American Society for Surgery of the Hand In: http://www.assh.org/, editor.

Bell C. 1833. The Hand: its Mechanism and Vital Endowments, as Evincing Design. London: Bridgewater Treatise. London: W. Pickering.

Bello‐Hellegouarch G, Aziz MA, Ferrero EM, Kern M, Francis N, Diogo R. 2013. "Pollical palmar interosseous muscle” (musculus adductor pollicis accessorius): Attachments, innervation, variations, phylogeny, and implications for human evolution and medicine. J Morph 274:275-293.

Bischoff TLW. 1870. Beiträge zur Anatomie des Hylobates leucisius und zu einer vergleichenden Anatomie der Muskeln der Affen u. des Menschen. ABH Bayer akad Wiss Munchen Math Phys KL 10:197-297.

Brooks HSJ. 1886a. On the morphology of the intrinsic muscles of the little finger, with some observations on the ulnar head of the short flexor of the thumb. J Anat Physiol 20:645-661.

Brooks HSJ. 1886b. Variations in the nerve supply of the flexor brevis pollicis muscle. J Anat Physiol 20:641-644.

Brooks HSJ. 1887. On the short muscles of the pollex and hallux of the anthropoid apes, with special reference to the opponens hallucis. J Anat Physiol 22:78-95.

Bunnell S. 1938. Opposition of the thumb. J Bone Joint Surg Am 20:269-284.

Cihak R. 1972. Ontogeneiss of the skeleton and intrinsic mucles of the hman hand and foot. Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 46:1-189.

Cihak R. 1977. Differentiation and rejoining of muscular layers in the embryonic human hand. Birth Defects Orig Artic Ser 13:97-110.

Clemente CD. 1985. Anatomy of the Human Body by Henry Gray. Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger.

Crafts RC. 1979. A Textbook of Human Anatomy, 2 ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Cruveilhier J. 1834-1836. Traité d’Anatomie Descriptive. Paris: P. Assleils Liraire de la Faculte de Medecine.

Cruveilhier J. 1843. Traité d'Anatomie Descriptive. Paris: Labe.

Cunningham DJ. 1878. The intrinsic muscles of the hand of the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus), cuscus (Phalangista maculata), and phascogale (Phascogale calura). J Anat Physiol 12:434.

Cunningham DJ. 1882. Report on some points in the anatomy of the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus), cuscus (Phalangista maculata), and phascogale (Phascogale calura), collected during the voyage of HMS Challenger in the years 1873-1876: With an account of the comparative anatomy of the intrinsic muscles and the nerves of the mammalian pes. Zool Challeng Exped 16:1-180.

Cunningham DJ. 1887. The flexor brevis pollicis and the flexor brevis hallucis in man. Anat Anz II:186-192.

Cunningham DJ. 1890. The value of nerve-supply in the determination of muscular homologies and anomalies. J Anat Physiol 25:31-40.

Day M-H, Napier JR. 1961. The two heads of flexor pollicis brevis. J Anat 95:123-130.

Day M-H, Napier JR. 1963. The functional significance of the deep head of flexor pollicis brevis in primates. Folia Primatol 1:122-134.

Diogo R, Richmond BG, Wood B. 2012. Evolution and homologies of primate and modern human hand and forearm muscles, with notes on thumb movements and tool use. J Human Evol 63:64-78.

Diogo R, Wood B. 2012. Comparative Anatomy and Phylogeny of Primate Muscles and Human Evolution: CRC press.

Drake RL, Vogl AW, Mitchell AWM. 2010. Gray’s Anatomy for Students, 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier.

Duchenne G-B. 1867. Physiologie des Mouvements. Paris: J.B. Baillière.

Dunlap SS, Aziz MA. 2013. The interosseous palmaris I of Henle. wwwdrsamdunlapcom.

El-Bacha A. 1981. The carpometacarpal joints (excluding the trapeziometacarpal). The Hand 1:158168.

Elliott JM, Connolly K. 1984. A classification of manipulative hand movements. Dev Med Child Neurol 26:283-296.

Fahrer M. 1981. Interdependent and independent actions of the fingers. In: Tubiana R, editor. The Hand. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co. p 399-403.

Ferner H. 1964. Pernkopf's Atlas of Topographical and Applied Human Anatomy: Thorax, Abdomen, and Extremities. Philadelphia: WB Saunders Co.

Flemming W. 1887a. Über den Flexor brevis pollicis und halluces des Menschen. Anat Anz II:68-77.

Flemming W. 1887b. Nachträgliche Notiz über den Flexor brevis pollicis. Anat Anz II:269-272.

Frohse F, Fränkel M. 1908. Die Muskeln des menschlichen Armes. In: von Bardeleben K, editor. Handbuch der Anatomie des Menschen. Jena: Gustav Fischer.

Gardner E, Gray D, O'Rahilly R. 1975. Anatomy: A Regional Study of Human Structure In. Philadelphia: WB Saunders Co.

Gegenbaur C. 1889. Bemerkungen ueber den M. Flexor brevis pollicis und Veränderungen der Handmuskulatur. Morph Jb 15:483-489.

Ger R, Abrams P, Olson TR. 1996. Essentials of clinical anatomy (2nd edition). New York: The Parthenon Publication Group.

Gerrish FH. 1902. A Text-book of Anatomy by American Authors. Philadelphia.: Lea Brothers and Co.

Goss CM. 1959. Anatomy of the Human Body by Henry Gray, 27 ed. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger.

Gray H, Standring S. 2008. Gray's anatomy: the anatomical basis of clinical practice, 40 ed. New York: Elsevier/Churchill Livingstone.

Haines RW. 1944. The mechanism of rotation at the first carpo-metacarpal joint. J Anat 78:44-46.

Haines RW. 1951. The extensor apparatus of the finger. J Anat 85:251.

Harmand S, Lewis JE, Feibel CS, Lepre CJ, Prat S, Lenoble A, Boës X, Quinn RL, Brenet M, Arroyo A. 2015. 3.3-million-year-old stone tools from Lomekwi 3, West Turkana, Kenya. Nature 521:310-315.

Henle J. 1855. Handbuch der systematischen Anatomie des Menschen, erster Band. Braunschweig: Vieweg und Sohn.

Henle J. 1871. Handbuch der Systematischen Anatomie, Bd. I. F Vieweg, Braunschweig 3.

Highet WB. 1943. Innervation and function of the thenar muscles. The Lancet 241:227-230.

Hollinshead WH. 1958. Anatomy for Surgeons: Vol 3, The Back and Limbs New York: Hoeber - Harper.

Huber GC. 1930. Piersol’s Human Anatomy, Including Structure and Development and Practical Considerations, 9th. Revised ed. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, Co.

IFSSH. 1972. [IFSSH = Internation Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand]. Joint motion of the thumb: Terminology for hand surgery. The Hand 4:278-285.

Ikebuchi Y, Murakami T, Ohtsuka A. 1988. The interosseous and lumbrical muscles in the human hand, with special reference to the insertions of the interosseous muscles. Acta Medica Okayama 42:327-334.

Jamieson EB. 1946. Illustrations of Regional Anatomy. Section VI, Upper Limb. Edinburgh: E and S Livingstone.

Jan SVS, Rooze M. 1994. Anatomical variations of the intrinsic muscles of the thumb. Anat Rec 238:131-146.

Kaplan EB. 1965. Functional & Surgical Anatomy of the Hand, 2 ed. Philadelphia: J. P. Lippincott, Co. .

Kaplan EB. 1966. The participation of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb in the act of opposition. Bull Hosp Jt Dis 27:39-45.

Kaplan EB. 1981. Anatomical variations of the forearm and hand. In: Tubiana R, editor. The Hand. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co. p 361-376.

Kemble JH. 1987. Man's hand in evolution. J Hand Surg Br 12:391-399.

Kirk T. 1924. Some points in the mechanism of the human hand. J Anat 58:228-230.

Kuhlmann J, Guerin-Surville H. 1985. Agencement fasciculaire des muscles intrinsèques du pouce. Bull Assoc Anatom 69:29-41.

Landsmeer JMF. 1962. Power grip and precision handling. Ann Rheum Dis 21:164-170.

Landsmeer JMF. 1976. Atlas of Anatomy of the Hand. New York: Churchill Livingstone.

Landsmeer JMF. 1983. The human hand in phylogenetic perspective. Bull Hosp Jt Dis Orthop Inst 44:276-287.

Landsmeer JMF. 1986. The hand and hominisation. Acta Morphol Neerl Scand 25:83-93.

Lemelin P, Diogo R. 2016. Anatomy, Function, and Evolution of the Primate Hand Musculature. In: The Evolution of the Primate Hand: Springer. p 155-193.

Lewis OJ. 1965. The evolution of the mm. interossei in the primate hand. Anat Rec 153:275-287.

Lewis OJ. 1989. Functional Morphology of the Evolving Hand and Foot: Clarendon Press, Oxford.

Linscheid RL. 1993. Presidential address: The hand and evolution. J Hand Surg 18:181-194.

Littler JW. 1973. On the adaptability of man's hand: With reference to the equiangular curve. The Hand 5:187-191.

Lockhart RD, Hamilton GF, Fyfe FW. 1959. Anatomy of the Human Body. In. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott.

Lovejoy CO, Suwa G, Spurlock L, Asfaw B, White TD. 2009. The pelvis and femur of Ardipithecus ramidus: the emergence of upright walking. Science 326:71-71e76.

Marwick R, Williams PL. 1973. Gray’s Anatomy. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders.

Marzke MW. 1971. Origin of the human hand. Am J Phys Anthr 34:61-84.

Marzke MW. 1992. Evolutionary development of the human thumb. Hand Clinics 8:1-8.

Marzke MW. 1996. Evolution of the hand and bipedality. Handbook of Human Symbolic Evolution New York, Wiley-Blackwell:126-154.

Marzke MW. 1997. Precision grips, hand morphology, and tools. Am J Phys Anthr 102:91-110.

Marzke MW, Shackley MS. 1986. Hominid hand use in the Pliocene and Pleistocene: evidence from experimental archaeology and comparative morphology. J Human Evol 15:439-460.

McFarlane R. 1962. Observations on the functional anatomy of the intrinsic muscles of the thumb. J Bone Joint Surg Am 44:1073-1088.

McMurrich JP. 1903. The phylogeny of the palmar musculature. Am J Anat 2:463-500.

McPherron SP, Alemseged Z, Marean CW, Wynn JG, Reed D, Geraads D, Bobe R, Béarat HA. 2010. Evidence for stone-tool-assisted consumption of animal tissues before 3.39 million years ago at Dikika, Ethiopia. Nature 466:857-860.

Miguelez J, Conyers D, Lang M, Gulick K. 2010. Upper Extremity Prosthetics. In: Care of the Combat Amputee. Textbook of Military Medicine. Bethesda, MD: Walter Reed medical Center Borden Institute.

Moore KL, Dalley AF, Agur AMR. 2013. Clinically Oriented Anatomy, 7 ed. Baltimore: Wolters Kluner/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Morrison PE, Hill RV. 2011. And then there were four: Anatomical observations on the pollical palmar interosseous muscle in humans. Clin Anat 24:978-983.

Napier JR. 1956. The prehensile movements of the human hand. Bone Joint J 38:902-913.

Napier JR. 1962. The evolution of the hand. Sci Am 207:56-62.

Napier JR. 1966. Functional Aspects of the Anatomy of the Hand. Butterworths, London.

Napier JR, Tuttle RH. 1993. Hands: Princeton University Press.

O’Rahilly R. 1977. Basic Human Anatomy. Philadelphia: WB Saunders.

Paturet G. 1951. Traite d'Anatomie Humaine. Paris: C.. E. Masson.

Perkins RE, Hast MH. 1993. Common variations in muscles and tendons of the human hand. Clin Anat 6:226-231.

Pieron AP. 1973. The mechanism of the first carpometacarpal (CMC) joint: an anatomical and mechanical analysis. Acta Orthop Scand 44:1-104.

Poirier P, Charpy A. 1926. Traite d'Anatomie Humaine. Lcs Articulations. Paris: Masson.

Robinson A. 1923. Cunningham's Textbook of Anatomy, 5 ed. New York: William Wood & Co.

Robinson A. 1931. Cunningham’s Text-Book of Anatomy. New York: Oxford University Press.

Romanes GJ. 1966. Cunningham's Manual of Practical Anatomy. Thirteenth Edition, Volume 1, Upper and Lower Limbs. London: Oxford University Press.

Ross L, Lamperti E. 2006. Thieme Atlas of Anatomy: General Anatomy and Musculoskeletal System. Stuttgart: Thieme.

Rouvière H, Delmas A. 2002. Anatomie humaine: Descriptive, Topographique et Fonctionnelle. Tome III. Paris: Masson. Paris: Elsevier Masson.

Schäfer EA, Thane GD. 1894. Quain's Elements of Anatomy. In: Arthrology, Myology, Angiology, 10 ed: Longmans Green and Co., London.

Schmidt HM, Lanz U. 2004. Surgical Anatomy of the Hand. Stuttgart, New York: Thieme.

Schöffl V, Heid A, Küpper T. 2012. Tendon injuries of the hand. World J Orthop 3:62-69.

Simard T, Roberge J. 1988. Human abductor pollicis brevis muscle "divisions" and the nerve hila. Anat Rec 222:426-436.

Standring S. 2008. Gray’s Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice, 40 ed. New York: Churchill. Livingstone, Elsevier.

Stern JT. 1988. Essentials of Gross Anatomy. Philadelphia: FA Davis Co.

Straus Jr. WL. 1946. The concept of nerve-muscle specifity Biol Rev 21:75-91.

Susman RL. 1988. Hand of Paranthropus robustus from Member 1, Swartkrans: fossil evidence for tool behavior. Science 240:781-784.

Susman RL. 1994. Fossil evidence for early hominid tool use. Science 265:1570-1573.

Susman RS, Nyati L, Jassal MS. 1999. Observations on the pollical palmar interosseous muscle (of Henle). Anat Rec 254:159-165.

Testut L, Latarjet A, Latarjet M. 1969. Tratado de Anatomía Humana, 9 ed. Barcelona: Salvat.

Thomson A, Schafer EA, Thane GD. 1882. Quain's Elements of Anatomy. In. New York: William Wood and Co.

Tocheri MW, Orr CM, Jacofsky MC, Marzke MW. 2008. The evolutionary history of the hominin hand since the last common ancestor of Pan and Homo. J Anat 212:544-562.

Toldt C. 1904. An Atlas of Human Anatomy for Students and Physicians 6. New York: Rebman Company.

Troxell EL. 1936. The thumb of man. Sci Monthly 43:148-150.

Tubiana R. 1981. The hand. Philadelphia, Penn.: W.B. Saunders Co.

Tubiana R, Valentin P. 1968. Opposition of the thumb. Surg Clin North Am 48:967-977.

Valentin P. 1981a. Extrinsic muscles of the hand and wrist: An introduction. In: Tubiana R, editor. The Hand. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co. p 237-243.

Valentin P. 1981b. The interossei and the lumbricals. In: Tubiana R, editor. The Hand. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co. p 244-254.

Van Sint Jan S, Rooze M. 1994. Anatomical variations of the intrinsic muscles of the thumb. Anat Rec 238:131-146.

Walter C. 2008. Thumbs, Toes, and Tears: and Other Traits that make us Human: Bloomsbury Publishing USA.

Warwick R, Williams PL. 1973. Gray’s Anatomy, 35th British Edition ed. Philadelphia: WB Saunders Co.

Welles JF. 1975. The anthropoid hand: A comparative study of prehension. Contemporary primatology 5th int Congr Primat 1974. Basel: Karger.

Wilson FR. 1999. The Hand. New York: New York: Vintage Books.

Witthaut J, Leclercq C. 1999. Der M. interosseus palmaris des Daumes: Ergebnisse einer anatomischen Studie zu einem Muskel des ersten Strahls. Handchir Microchir plast Chir 31:66-69.

Wolf-Heidegger G. 1962. Atlas of Systematic Human Anatomy. New York: Hafner Pub. Co.

Wood Jones F. 1920. The Principles of Anatomy as Seen in the Hand. With 2 Plates and 123 Text Figures. London: J. & A. Churchill.

Wood Jones F. 1942. The Principles of Anatomy as Seen in the Hand. With 2 Plates and 123 Text Figures, 2 ed. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins Co.

Woodburne RT, Burkel WE. 1988. Essentials of Human Anatomy, 8 ed. New York: Oxford University Press.

Yamamoto C, Murakami T, Ohtsuka A. 1988. Homology of the adductor pollicis and contrahentes muscles: a study of monkey hands. Acta Medica Okayama 42:215-226.

Yamamoto R, Taguchi T, Murakami T. 1987. Palmar interosseous muscle of the human thumb. Acta Medica Okayama 41:99-103.

Young AH. 1880. Intrinsic muscles of the marsupial hand. J Anat Physiol 14:149.

Zancolli EA, Cozzi EP. 1992. Atlas of Surgical Anatomy of the Hand. New York: Churchill Livingstone.

Zuckerman SS. 1961. A New System of Anatomy. London: Oxford University Press.