VARIANT MUSCLE OF THE FLEXOR COMPARTMENT OF FOREARM: A CASE REPORT

Variations of the muscles are well known and documented. Here we report a unilateral variation of flexor digitorum profundus in the ventral aspect of the distal forearm of an elderly male cadaver. The variant muscle presented the following attachments: the proximal end of the muscle belly was attached to the medial surface of radius beneath the flexor pollicis longus and the interosseous membrane, distal attachment was traced onto the tendon of flexor digitorum profundus. The muscle fibres were directed downwards and medially, lying superficial to the anterior interosseous nerve, vessels and superficial to the pronator quadratus. The muscle belly was innervated by a small twig of anterior interosseous nerve. None of the other forearm muscle showed variations. A profound knowledge of the anatomical variations is essential for differential diagnosis of compression syndromes as it is closely related or plastered to the anterior interosseous nerve and vessels.