Which structure forms the roof of the carpal tunnel?

Which structure forms the roof of the carpal tunnel?

• A. Flexor Retinaculum
• B. Extensor Retinaculum
• C. Palmar Fascia
• D. Intercarpal Ligament

Answer: (A)

The carpal tunnel is a fibrous passage at the wrist that houses the flexor tendons and the median nerve. Its roof is formed by the flexor retinaculum (transverse carpal ligament), a strong fibrous band that stretches from the medial side of the wrist to the lateral side, spanning from the pisiform and hook of the hamate medially to the tubercles of the scaphoid and trapezium laterally. This band creates a roof over the tendons and nerve that pass underneath, converting the carpal bones’ concavity into a tunnel. The extensor retinaculum sits on the dorsal aspect of the wrist, not over the carpal tunnel; the palmar fascia is a more superficial layer in the palm, and intercarpal ligaments connect carpal bones but don’t form the roof of the tunnel.

The carpal tunnel is a fibrous passage at the wrist that houses the flexor tendons and the median nerve. Its roof is formed by the flexor retinaculum (transverse carpal ligament), a strong fibrous band that stretches from the medial side of the wrist to the lateral side, spanning from the pisiform and hook of the hamate medially to the tubercles of the scaphoid and trapezium laterally. This band creates a roof over the tendons and nerve that pass underneath, converting the carpal bones’ concavity into a tunnel. The extensor retinaculum sits on the dorsal aspect of the wrist, not over the carpal tunnel; the palmar fascia is a more superficial layer in the palm, and intercarpal ligaments connect carpal bones but don’t form the roof of the tunnel.