ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to classify morphological patterns of the lumbrical muscles and their anatomical variations in the hands. The lumbricals in the hand were investigated in 70 specimens of 45 embalmed Korean adult cadavers. The shapes of the lumbrical muscles were observed in 70 specimens and the distances from the distal border of the flexor retinaculum to the origins of the lumbricals were measured using digital calipers in 52 specimens. The lumbrical muscles were classified into 3 types based on their shapes, and also into 10 types based on their insertion sites. The average distances from the distal border of the flexor retinaculum to the origins of the first, second, third, and fourth lumbricals were +1.8 mm, - 1.4 mm, +5.1 mm, and +11.2 mm, respectively. The results of this study could be useful information for better understanding the function of the lumbrical muscles and for various types of diagnoses and surgery involving the hands.