The palmar radiocarpal ligament (anterior ligament, volar radiocarpal ligament) is a broad membranous band, attached above to the distal end of the

radius In classical geometry, a radius (plural, : radii) of a circle or sphere is any of the line segments from its Centre (geometry), center to its perimeter, and in more modern usage, it is also their length. The name comes from the latin ''radius'', ...

, and passing downward to the

scaphoid The scaphoid bone is one of the carpal bones of the wrist. It is situated between the hand and forearm on the thumb side of the wrist (also called the lateral or radial side). It forms the radial border of the carpal tunnel. The scaphoid bone i ...

lunate Lunate is a crescent or moon-shaped microlith. In the specialized terminology of lithic reduction, a lunate flake is a small, crescent-shaped flake removed from a stone tool during the process of pressure flaking. In the Natufian period, a lu ...

, triquetrum and

capitate The capitate bone is a bone in the human wrist found in the center of the carpal bone region, located at the distal end of the radius and ulna bones. It articulates with the third metacarpal bone (the middle finger) and forms the third carpomet ...

of the carpal bones in the wrist. In addition to this broad membrane, there is a rounded

fasciculus ''Fasciculus vesanus'' is an extinct species of stem-group ctenophores known from the Burgess Shale of British Columbia, Canada. It is dated to and belongs to middle Cambrian strata. The species is remarkable for its two sets of long and shor ...

, superficial to the rest, which reaches from the base of the styloid process of the ulna to the lunate and triangular bones.

Perforations

The ligament is perforated by apertures for the passage of vessels,

Relations

It is in relation, in front, with the tendons of the

flexor digitorum profundus The flexor digitorum profundus is a muscle in the forearm of humans 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. Togeth ...

and

flexor pollicis longus The flexor pollicis longus (; FPL, Latin ''flexor'', bender; ''pollicis'', of the thumb; ''longus'', long) is a muscle in the forearm and hand that flexes the thumb. It lies in the same plane as the flexor digitorum profundus. This muscle is un ...

. Behind, it is closely adherent to the anterior border of the articular disk of the distal radioulnar articulation.

Components

Some sources break down the components of the ligament as follows: radiolunate, radiocapitate, radiotriquetral, and radioscaphoid. Other sources combine the radioscaphoid and radiocapitate into a "radioscaphocapitate".

References

External links

* Ligaments of the upper limb {{ligament-stub