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The median nerve supplies the muscles of the volar
forearm except two, the flexor carpi ulnaris and the ulnar half of the flexor
digitorum profundus. In the hand it supplies the thenar muscles, and two
lumbrical muscles. It supplies sensation to the thumb, index, long and
one-half of the ring finger. Injuries to
the median nerve result in severe disability. High median nerve injuries,
in the proximal forearm or above, lead to loss of wrist flexion strength, ulnar
deviation of the wrist, loss of thumb opposition, and loss of finger flexion of
the thumb, index and long finger interphalangeal joints. When making a
fist, the ring and small fingers flex while the long and index tend to stay
straight. In low median nerve injuries the fingers are still able to flex,
but thumb opposition is often lost. 
Clinical
Example of Median and Ulnar Nerve Injury
The patient suffered a glass laceration to the
median and ulnar nerve in the forearm, along with transection of all the flexor
tendons. The median and ulnar nerve were microsurgically repaired.
At one year after nerve repair there is good
thumb opposition and function of the intrinsic muscles.
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