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Pronator quadratus: anatomy, location and function

A square deep muscle on the front of the distal forearm. Pronates the forearm and helps bind the radius and ulna together.

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Highlighted in the model: Pronator quadratus. 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.

Pronator quadratus at a glance

What it is
A square deep muscle on the front of the distal forearm.
Location
Originates from the distal quarter of the anterior surface of the ulna and inserts onto the distal quarter of the anterior surface of the radius.
Function
Pronates the forearm and helps bind the radius and ulna together.
Body system
Muscular · paired (left and right)
FMA ID
FMA38454 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

  • Innervation: anterior interosseous nerve, a branch of the median nerve (C8–T1)
  • Blood supply: anterior interosseous artery

Structures next to the pronator quadratus

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

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy: Pronator quadratus (FMA38454). 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.