
The brachialis muscle is a flexor muscle in the upper arm that is responsible for flexing the elbow. It is located beneath the biceps brachii and is considered the prime mover of elbow flexion, generating about 50% more power than the biceps. The brachialis is innervated by the musculocutaneous nerve and occasionally receives additional innervation from the radial nerve. It is a broad muscle with its broadest part located in the middle. The brachialis is involved in various physical activities and can be injured by repetitive forceful contractions or muscular contractions with the arm in hyperextension.
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What You'll Learn
- The brachialis is the prime mover of elbow flexion
- The brachialis is a major flexor of the forearm
- The brachialis is a broad muscle with its broadest part in the middle
- The brachialis is the only pure flexor of the elbow joint
- The brachialis is involved in shaping the upper surface of the antecubital fossa

The brachialis is the prime mover of elbow flexion
The brachialis is a muscle in the upper arm that is responsible for flexing the elbow. It is a broad muscle, with its broadest part located in the middle, and is found beneath the biceps brachii. The brachialis is the prime mover of elbow flexion, generating about 50% more power than the biceps. It is also the only pure flexor of the elbow joint, producing the majority of force during elbow flexion.
The brachialis is located in the anterior (flexor) compartment of the arm, deep to the biceps brachii. It originates from the anterior surface of the distal half of the humerus, near the insertion of the deltoid muscle. Its fibres converge to a thick tendon, which is inserted into the tuberosity of the ulna. The muscle is supplied by muscular branches of the brachial artery and the recurrent radial artery, with additional supply from the superior and inferior ulnar collateral arteries.
The brachialis is innervated by the musculocutaneous nerve, which runs on its superficial surface, and it commonly receives additional innervation from the radial nerve. This muscle is not affected by pronation or supination of the forearm and does not participate in these movements due to its lack of attachment to the radius. The brachialis is also responsible for holding the elbow in a flexed position, and it steadies the movement during controlled extension of the elbow joint by relaxing at an even pace.
The brachialis is an important flexor muscle of the forearm at the elbow, providing elbow flexion at all physiologic positions. It is one of the largest elbow flexors and provides pure forearm flexion at the elbow. The brachialis is also clinically significant, as it can be used as an alternative donor for tendon transfer procedures, such as reconstructing the flexor digitorum profundus and the flexor pollicis longus after brachial plexus injuries.
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The brachialis is a major flexor of the forearm
The brachialis is a major flexor muscle of the forearm, responsible for flexing the elbow. It is located in the anterior (flexor) compartment of the upper arm, beneath the biceps brachii, and forms part of the floor of the cubital fossa (elbow pit). The brachialis is the prime mover of elbow flexion, generating about 50% more power than the biceps. It originates from the anterior surface of the distal half of the humerus, near the insertion of the deltoid muscle, and inserts onto the tuberosity of the ulna.
The brachialis is innervated by the musculocutaneous nerve, which runs on its superficial surface, and it also commonly receives additional innervation from the radial nerve. The muscle is supplied by muscular branches of the brachial artery and the recurrent radial artery. The brachialis is known as the 'workhorse of the elbow', as it is the only pure flexor of the elbow joint, producing the majority of force during elbow flexion. It is capable of flexing the elbow in all positions and is not affected by pronation or supination of the forearm.
The brachialis is a broad muscle, with its broadest part located in the middle. It is sometimes divided into two parts, with a major and minor head, and may fuse with the fibres of the biceps brachii, coracobrachialis, or pronator teres muscles. The brachialis is susceptible to injury through repetitive forceful contractions or muscular contractions with the arm in hyperextension, as seen in activities such as climbing, pull-ups, curls, and rope climbing.
The brachialis is an important muscle for several reasons. Firstly, it enables the body to regain an erect position after stooping by drawing the pelvis backward. Secondly, it plays a role in shaping the upper surface of the antecubital fossa (also known as the cubital fossa), a triangular region at the front of the elbow that serves as a passageway for nerves, blood vessels, and tendons. Finally, the brachialis is used in clinical applications, such as tendon transfer to reconstruct other flexor muscles in the arm and hand.
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The brachialis is a broad muscle with its broadest part in the middle
The brachialis is a prime flexor of the forearm at the elbow joint. It is the only pure flexor of the elbow joint, and is considered the primary flexor of the elbow, generating about 50% more power than the biceps. The brachialis is also responsible for holding the elbow in the flexed position, so when the elbow joint is flexed, the brachialis is always contracting. It is also involved in the eccentric contraction of the muscle, which is used for precision movements such as carefully lowering a teacup onto a flat surface.
The brachialis is commonly injured by repetitive forceful contractions or muscular contractions with the arm in hyperextension. This is often seen in climbers due to the pronation of the hand and the extended starting position. Physical activities that involve a lot of pull-ups, curls, and rope climbing can also cause brachialis muscle pain.
The brachialis muscle is innervated by the musculocutaneous nerve, which runs on its superficial surface, and it is supplied by muscular branches of the brachial artery and by the recurrent radial artery. The muscle is occasionally doubled, with additional muscle slips to the supinator, pronator teres, biceps brachii, lacertus fibrosus, or radius.
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The brachialis is the only pure flexor of the elbow joint
The brachialis is a muscle in the upper arm that is responsible for flexing the elbow. It is the only pure flexor of the elbow joint, generating about 50% more power than the biceps. The brachialis is the prime mover of elbow flexion, and it is also involved in shaping the upper surface of the antecubital fossa, also known as the cubital fossa or elbow pit.
The brachialis is located deep to the biceps brachii muscle, which means it is less visible and closer to the humerus bone. Its medial surface is next to the medial intermuscular septum and the ulnar nerve, while its lateral surface is adjacent to the radial nerve and the lateral intermuscular septum. The brachialis is a broad muscle, with its broadest part in the middle rather than at the ends. It is sometimes divided into two parts, and may fuse with the fibres of the biceps brachii, coracobrachialis, or pronator teres muscles.
The brachialis is innervated by the musculocutaneous nerve, which runs on its superficial surface, and it also receives additional innervation from the radial nerve. The muscle is supplied by branches of the brachial artery and the radial recurrent artery, with occasional contributions from other arteries. The brachialis is the primary flexor of the forearm at the elbow joint, and it is involved in holding the elbow in a flexed position.
The brachialis is an important muscle for physical activities that involve pull-ups, curls, and rope climbing. It is also clinically significant in the assessment and treatment of certain injuries and conditions, such as Erb's palsy and brachial plexus injuries. The strength of the brachialis can be evaluated by specific manual tests, and it plays a role in the range of motion and stability of the elbow joint.
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The brachialis is involved in shaping the upper surface of the antecubital fossa
The brachialis is a muscle in the upper arm that flexes the elbow. It is located deep to the biceps brachii muscle, which means it is less visible and closer to the humerus. The brachialis is the prime mover of elbow flexion, generating about 50% more power than the biceps. It is also the only pure flexor of the elbow joint.
The brachialis is an important flexor muscle of the forearm at the elbow. It provides elbow flexion at all physiologic positions. The brachialis originates from the distal anterior humerus and inserts onto the ulnar tuberosity. It is also attached to the intermuscular septa of the arm on either side. The muscle is innervated by the musculocutaneous nerve, which runs on its superficial surface, and it is supplied by muscular branches of the brachial artery and the recurrent radial artery.
The brachialis muscle can be commonly injured by repetitive forceful contractions or muscular contractions with the arm in hyperextension. This is often seen in climbers due to the pronation of the hand and the extended starting position. Physical activities that involve a lot of pull-ups, curls, and rope climbing can also cause brachialis muscle pain.
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Frequently asked questions
The brachialis is a muscle in the upper arm that flexes the elbow. It is located beneath the biceps brachii and is considered a "pure flexor" of the forearm at the elbow.
The brachialis is the prime mover of elbow flexion, generating about 50% more power than the biceps. It is the only pure flexor of the elbow joint, producing the majority of force during elbow flexion.
Unlike the biceps, the brachialis does not insert on the radius and does not participate in pronation and supination of the forearm. The brachialis is also deeper than the biceps brachii.
The strength of the brachialis can be assessed by palpating the contracting muscle fibers during flexion of the elbow joint against resistance while the forearm is in a semi-pronated position.











































