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Long head of biceps brachii: anatomy, location and function

The long head of biceps, passing through the shoulder joint. Flexes the elbow, supinates the forearm and weakly flexes the shoulder.

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Highlighted in the model: Long head of biceps brachii. Click any part to read about it, or switch off “Highlight topic” to see the whole body. 3D data: BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0; meshes simplified and recoloured. The model is an adult male.

Long head of biceps brachii at a glance

What it is
The long head of biceps, passing through the shoulder joint.
Location
Origin: supraglenoid tubercle of the scapula. Insertion: radial tuberosity and bicipital aponeurosis (with the short head).
Function
Flexes the elbow, supinates the forearm and weakly flexes the shoulder.
Body system
Muscular · paired (left and right)
FMA ID
FMA37686 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

  • Innervation: musculocutaneous nerve (C5–C6)
  • Blood supply: brachial artery
  • Its tendon runs inside the shoulder joint capsule and down the intertubercular groove, held by the transverse humeral ligament.

Clinical relevance

Its tendon can rupture, producing a 'Popeye' bulge.

Structures next to the long head of biceps brachii

The nearest named structures in the 3D model, measured from the centre of each part:

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy: Long head of biceps brachii (FMA37686). EMBL-EBI Ontology Lookup Service.
  2. OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, §11.2 Naming Skeletal Muscles. Rice University, 2022.
  3. Mitsuhashi N. et al. (2009). BodyParts3D: 3D structure database for anatomical concepts. Nucleic Acids Research 37, D782–D785. Data © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0.

Related anatomy

Explore the whole body in the interactive 3D human anatomy model, or browse the A–Z list of human structures.