# Do we have muscles in our fingers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 29, 2006, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-have-muscles-in-our-fingers/358585 "2006-05-29T02:11:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-have-muscles-in-our-fingers/358585/1 "2006-05-29T02:11:26Z")
Don’t laugh. I was at a musical board, telling how my piano teacher (of 4 weeks) has me playing scales and (Hanon) drills very loudly in order to strengthen the muscles in my fingers. A few people post helpful comments and then along comes a poster who shouts: THERE ARE NO MUSCLES IN THE FINGERS I look at my fingers and think the man is full of it, but I Google on the matter and I think he’s right. Tendons, it seems connect to the fingers from muscles in the forearm. Do we have an anatomist in the house who can confirm or counter this? If this _is_ true, by the way, just think of the bar bets you can win. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![seenidog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@seenidog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seenidog)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-have-muscles-in-our-fingers/358585/2 "2006-05-29T02:31:44Z")
There are muscles in your fingers. I had an unfortunate accident (As opposed to a fortunate accident) and sliced open several fingers. There are muscles in there. How much they have to do with actual hand/finger motion I do not know, but they are there and if you slice-n-dice them it hurts like all git out. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-have-muscles-in-our-fingers/358585/3 "2006-05-29T02:35:14Z")
It [looks like](http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/j/u/jus149/handfinger/handandfinermodel/handfingermodel.htm) the muscles do extend just the tiniest bit into the fingers. ---
**Author:** ![seenidog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@seenidog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seenidog)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-have-muscles-in-our-fingers/358585/4 "2006-05-29T02:46:25Z")
I just called the anatomy instructor from the college I work at, and he confirms there are mucles in the fingers, and recommends taking a look at any good text from the local library. Gray’s Anatomy came up in the conversation, but I have no specific cite. ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-have-muscles-in-our-fingers/358585/5 "2006-05-29T03:04:19Z")
Take a look at this site: [http://www.dartmouth.edu/~anatomy/wrist-hand/muscles/index.html](http://www.dartmouth.edu/~anatomy/wrist-hand/muscles/index.html) … particularly [this page](http://www.dartmouth.edu/~anatomy/wrist-hand/muscles/extrinsic5.html) that addresses finger motion. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-have-muscles-in-our-fingers/358585/6 "2006-05-29T03:20:50Z")
> [@elfbabe](#): > > Take a look at this site: [HAE Course at Dartmouth Medical School](http://www.dartmouth.edu/~anatomy/wrist-hand/muscles/index.html) … particularly [this page](http://www.dartmouth.edu/~anatomy/wrist-hand/muscles/extrinsic5.html) that addresses finger motion. From the same link, note [this page](http://www.dartmouth.edu/~anatomy/wrist-hand/muscles/intrinsic3.html) too, which shows the intrinsic muscles of the fingers, that is, those located within the fingers themselves. However, it should be noted that these are quite minor components of the muscles that move the fingers. The major muscles governing finger motion, such as the ones indicated in \*\*elfbabe’s \*\* second link, as well as these [deeper muscles](http://www.dartmouth.edu/~anatomy/wrist-hand/muscles/extrinsic3.html), are _extrinsic_ to the hand itself, and are located in the forearm, being connected to the fingers by long tendons. This arrangement is a convenient way to bring more power to the fingers without making the hands too bulky. If we had to put all the muscles needed within the hand itself, our hands would be the size of catcher’s mitts. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-have-muscles-in-our-fingers/358585/7 "2006-05-29T03:23:36Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri] From the same link, note [this page](http://www.dartmouth.edu/~anatomy/wrist-hand/muscles/intrinsic3.html) too, which shows the intrinsic muscles of the fingers, that is, those located within the fingers themselves./QUOTE] But aren’t those in what we call the hand, not the fingers? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-have-muscles-in-our-fingers/358585/8 "2006-05-29T03:36:47Z")
This is interesting [The muscles that move your fingers and thumb are in your forearm, not your hand](http://www.sanbenito.k12.tx.us/Interesting_Facts/interesting_finger.html) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-have-muscles-in-our-fingers/358585/9 "2006-05-29T04:29:42Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] > [@Colibri](#): > > From the same link, note [this page](http://www.dartmouth.edu/~anatomy/wrist-hand/muscles/intrinsic3.html) too, which shows the intrinsic muscles of the fingers, that is, those located within the fingers themselves./QUOTE] > But aren’t those in what we call the hand, not the fingers? The insertions (distal ends) of the muscles is on the base of the proximal phalange, thus within the finger. However, it is true that the actual belly of the muscles, and their origins (proximal ends) are within the hand, located between the metacarpal bones. So I guess it would be correct to say that the muscles themselves are not really in the fingers, although they do extend a small distance into them. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-have-muscles-in-our-fingers/358585/10 "2006-05-29T04:40:37Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > FIf we had to put all the muscles needed within the hand itself, our hands would be the size of catcher’s mitts. And then catcher’s mitts would be proportionally larger, and we still wouldn’t be able to catch a knuckle ball.