Anatomical snuff box: Encyclopedia - Anatomical snuff box

Anatomical snuff box

The anatomical snuff box is a depression on the back of the hand, just beneath the thumb, that is formed by three tendons. When snuff was popular, this small compartment could be used as a place to hold the tobacco for snorting.

The two tendons it consists of are the tendons of the muscles extensor pollicis brevis and abductor pollicis longus laterally. Medially, the bordering tendon is that of the extensor pollicis longus muscle. Therefore the snuff box is visible when the thumb (pollux/pollicis) is dorsally flexed. The bodies of these muscles are quite thin, and are in the distal half of the forearm.

The radial artery runs on the floor of the anatomical snuff box. The carpal bones, scaphoid and trapezium can be palpated within the snuff box, so can the styloid process of the radius. Tenderness, or pain on contact in the snuff box is diagnostic of a scaphoid fracture, one of the most common causes of medico-legal issues.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Anatomical snuff box", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki