as we palpate the extensors of the wrist and the flexors of the wrist one thing we want to keep in mind all of the flexors are found on the anterior forearm when we're in correct anatomical position we say that this is the non-hairy side of the forearm the extensors are going to be found on the posterior forearm or the hairy side of the forearm another important tool that you can use to find extensors versus flexors is to have your client contract a muscle called bracho radialis we sometimes call this did the divider muscle so we support our client's elbow have them make a fist and push up into our hand and you'll see this muscle here pop up it runs all the way down to the styloid process of the radius that's called bracho radialis if we're palpating lateral to bracho radialis we are now on the extensor muscle group if we're palpating medial to bracho radialis we're then on the flexor muscle group so let's begin by palpating the extensors first so the first extensor muscle we're going to palpate it's really two muscles we're going to palpate it as one it's extensor Carpe radialis longus and extensor carpy radialis Revis longus is going to originate from the super ular Ridge on the lateral side of the humorus extensor Carpe radialis brevis is going to originate from the lateral epicondyles are going to run down the forearm they're going to cross the wrist longus is going to insert into the base of the second metacarpal brevis inserts into the base of the third so to palpate these two muscles you can take your client's hand we're going to start around the lateral humoris and we're going to have our client ab and AD docked when they do this it causes the extensor carpi radialis longest and brevis to pop up and you can feel the muscle to Contracting so we're going to find it and then we're going to follow it down the forearm if you feel like you're losing the muscle you're not sure you're on it again have your client go into ab and AD duction as the ab duct we're going to feel the muscle contract we're going to follow that muscle down and you can differentiate between longus going to the base of the second and then brevis is going to the base of the third metacarpal the next muscle we're going to look at and we're going to find is extensor digitorum extensor digitorum form it's an extensor muscle therefore it's going to originate from the lateral epicondyle then comes down the forearm crossing the wrist and it's going to insert into the middle and distal fanges of digits 2 3 four and five one thing you can have your client do to contract the muscle is to wiggle their fingers as if they're playing the piano and you actually see this muscle contract which makes it very easy to palpate also if they extend the wrist and extend their digits the tendons are going to pop up on the dorsum of the hand all right so I'm going to start at the lateral and again the tendon's branch here you'll get a branch of each tendon going into digits 2 3 4 and five last extensor is going to be extensor Carpe nerys it originates from the lateral EP aond of the humoris it then will go down the forearm crossing the wrist and it's going to insert on the base of the fifth metacarpal this muscle is one that will ad deduct the wrist so again if we have our client go into ad deduction and abduction alternating between the two we will actually see the muscle pop up so I'm going to start at the lateral epicondyle as it's Contracting and I'm going to follow it down the forearm and I should be able to follow it right to the base of the fifth metacarpal all right so again those are your extensors we have extensor carpy radialis longus and brevis going down the forearm longus inserting to the base of the second brevis inserting to the base of the third extensor digitorum originating at the lateral epic of the humoris goes down the forearm crossing the wrist and goes to digits 2 3 four and five lastly we have extensor carpy Olas originating at the lateral epic cond of the humoris heads down the forearm P the wrist to insert at the base of the fifth metacarpal so that's your extensor group now we're going to be palpating the flexors so you want to make sure that you're palpating on the anterior side of the forearm all of your flexors are going to originate around this medial epicondilite is going to be flexor carpy radialis it's going to originate at the medial epicondyle the one thing about the flexors I usually like to start palpating at the wrist because the tendons pop up so if you have your client into flexion of the wrist you can actually see the tendon of flexor carpy radialis it's going to be the one closest to the thumb the one you see in the middle is Pal's longest the one you see closer to the little finger the fifth digit or closer to the Ona is going to be flexor carpy Olas so again I'm going to have my client Flex the wrist and I'm going to find the tendon of flexor carpy radialis and I'm going to follow it to get this muscle to contract we can have our client ab and AD duct the wrist as they AB duct I will feel a contraction and I'm going to follow the muscle up to where it's originating at the medial epicondyle is going to be pis longus so again if we have our client Flex the wrist the the tendon that pops up that's more in the center is going to be pis longus we can also have our client bring the thumb to the in the um fifth digit and that pops up the poma's longest tendon pops up even more with wrist flexion all right pus longus originates at the medial epicondylar aerosis so I'm going to start here finding the tendon and then I'm going to follow it if I'm not sure I'm on the muscle again I can have my client bring the thumb to the fifth digit cont tracks I can follow it up to the medial Epicon the last flexor is going to be flexor carpy NYS flexor carpy Alys again is going to originate from the medial epicondilite and the base of the fifth metacarpal when I have my client Flex the wrist I'm going to feel a tendon if I can find pisor if I fall right off pisor proximately I feel that tendon pop up of flexor carpon arys and then I'm going to follow it if I'm not sure I'm on the muscle again I'm going to have my client move into ad and ab duction alternating between the two flexor carpy Alys its action is AD duction of the wrist so when my client ad ducts I should feel the muscle pop up and then I'm going to follow it to the medial epicondyle or group again we have flexor carpy radialis origin medial down the forearm past the wrist to insert at the base of the second and third metacarpal we have palaris longus it's going to originate at the medial epicondylar fascia and then we have flexor carpy olaris again it's originating from the medial EP aond of the humoris comes down the forearm crossing the wrist to insert it the Pisa form hook of the hamate base of the fifth F carpal