Where is the anatomical snuff box located

Thank you for updating your details. Log In. Sign Up. Become a Gold Supporter and see no ads. Log in Sign up. Articles Cases Courses Quiz. About Recent Edits Go ad-free. Edit article. View revision history Report problem with Article. Citation, DOI and article data. Knipe, H. Anatomical snuff box. Reference article, Radiopaedia. URL of Article. Gross anatomy Boundaries medial: tendons of the extensor pollicis longus lateral: tendons of the extensor pollicis brevis and more laterally abductor pollicis longus floor scaphoid , trapezium bones tendons of the extensor carpi radialis longus and brevis base of 1 st metacarpal can be palpated distally and the radial styloid process can be palpated proximally Contents radial artery superficial branch of the radial nerve cephalic vein variable History and etymology In the days when snuff use was popular, the user would place a small amount of snuff from the container into the "anatomical" snuff box as opposed to the physical snuff box which he carried around in his pocket, hence "anatomical" , close one nostril with an index finger and sniff the snuff up the open nostril.

Clinically Oriented Anatomy, Hardcover Edition. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon. Accordingly, the anatomical snuffbox is most visible, having a more pronounced concavity, during thumb extension. The styloid process of the radius forms the proximal border while the distal border is formed by the approximate apex of the schematic snuffbox isosceles triangle. The floor of the snuffbox varies depending on the position of the wrist, but both the trapezium and primarily the scaphoid can be palpated.

Superficial to these lies the radial artery , which passes through the anatomical snuffbox on its course from the normal radial pulse detecting area, to the proximal space in between the first and second metacarpals to contribute to the superficial and deep palmar arches. The cephalic vein arises within the anatomical snuffbox, while the dorsal cutaneous branch of the radial nerve can be palpated by stroking along the extensor pollicis longus with the dorsal aspect of a fingernail.

The radius and scaphoid articulate deep to the snuffbox to form the basis of the wrist joint. In the event of a fall onto an outstretched hand, this is the area through which the brunt of the force will focus. This results in these two bones being the most often fractured of the wrist.

In a case where there is localized tenderness within the snuffbox, knowledge of wrist anatomy leads to the speedy conclusion that the fracture is likely to be of the scaphoid. This is understandable as the scaphoid is a small, oddly shaped bone whose purpose is to facilitate mobility rather than confer stability to the wrist joint.

In the event of inordinate application of force over the wrist, this small scaphoid is clearly likely to be the weak link. Interestingly, scaphoid fracture is one of the most frequent causes of medico-legal issues. An interesting anatomical anomaly in the vascular supply to the scaphoid is the area to which the blood supply is first delivered.