Nerve · Hand

Palmar digital nerves

Nervi digitales palmares proprii

The final nerves of the fingers. Each runs along the side of a digit just in front of the digital artery, held against the bone by the fibrous flexor sheath, and ends by breaking into a dense spray in the pulp of the fingertip. They supply the palmar skin of the digit and — a detail that surprises people — they also send branches over the end of the finger to the nail bed and the back of the terminal phalanx, so the skin around a fingernail is supplied from the palm side. Their density in the pulp is what makes fingertip touch so fine.