Extensor digiti minimi muscle
muscle of the upper limb
The extensor digiti minimi (extensor digiti quinti proprius) is a slender muscle of the forearm, placed on the ulnar side of the extensor digitorum communis, with which it is generally connected.
It arises from the common extensor tendon by a thin tendinous slip and frequently from the intermuscular septa between it and the adjacent muscles.
Its tendon passes through a compartment of the extensor retinaculum, posterior to distal radio-ulnar joint, then divides into two as it crosses the dorsum of the hand, and finally joins the extensor digitorum tendon. All three tendons attach to the dorsal digital expansion of the fifth digit (little finger). There may be a slip of tendon to the fourth digit.
Variations
An additional fibrous slip from the lateral epicondyle: The tendon of insertion may not divide or may send a slip to the ring finger.
Absence of the muscle is rare; fusion of the belly with the extensor digitorum communis is not uncommon.
Variations of the fifth extensor compartment, which the extensor digiti minimi runs through, may cause tenosynovitis and can limit the use of the extensor digiti minimi.
The extensor digiti minimi can also be bifurcated, which means split, at many different points in the muscle.
Functions
The extensor digiti minimi is a two joint muscle.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Extensor digiti minimi muscle” as muscle of the upper limb. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as muscle of the upper limb. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 25, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q19030. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Extensor digiti minimi muscle”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Extensor digiti minimi muscle primary sources, Extensor digiti minimi muscle archive and Extensor research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Extensor digiti minimi muscle”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Extensor digiti minimi muscle” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.