List of abductors of the human body

List of muscles that act as abductors in the human body

Abductors are muscles that move a limb or part away from the midline of the body, or from another part. This list includes the major abductor muscles of the human body.

Upper Limb Abductors

Shoulder

• Deltoid muscle: The deltoid is the primary abductor of the shoulder joint. It is responsible for lifting the arm away from the body.
• Supraspinatus muscle: This muscle assists the deltoid in abduction of the arm, especially during the initial 15 degrees of movement.

Wrist

• Abductor pollicis longus muscle: This muscle abducts the thumb and is involved in the radial abduction of the wrist.
• Abductor pollicis brevis muscle: It abducts the thumb at the carpometacarpal joint.

Fingers

• Dorsal interossei muscles of the hand: These muscles abduct the fingers away from the midline of the hand.

Lower Limb Abductors

Hip

• Gluteus medius muscle: This muscle is a major abductor of the thigh at the hip joint.
• Gluteus minimus muscle: It works alongside the gluteus medius to abduct the thigh.
• Tensor fasciae latae muscle: This muscle assists in the abduction and medial rotation of the thigh.

Toes

• Abductor hallucis muscle: This muscle abducts the big toe.
• Abductor digiti minimi muscle of foot: It abducts the little toe.

See Also

• Adductor muscles
• Muscle contraction
• Human anatomy

References

• Keith L.,

 Clinically Oriented Anatomy, 
  
 Wolters Kluwer, 
 2018, 
  
  
 ISBN 978-1-4963-4721-3,

• Standring, Susan,

 Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice, 
 Elsevier, 
 2020,
 Vol. 41,