Hand Musculature of the Rhesus Monkey (Macaca mulatta): An Anatomical Study

The rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) is one of the most frequently used primate species in biomedical research. As a common animal model used to study human disease, the validation of the obtained research data depends on a solid understanding of rhesus monkey anatomy. Unfortunately, the number of anatomical studies on the rhesus monkey is low. Moreover, the available anatomical books and atlases are outdated. For example, no color photographs—only line drawings—are presented. Luckily, renewed interest in rhesus monkey anatomy has been observed. The present study builds upon a recently published manuscript on the topographical anatomy of the thoracic limb of the rhesus monkey. More specifically, the musculature of the rhesus monkey hand is described using full-color anatomical photographs taken during dissections of the hands of three rhesus monkeys. The structures that are visible in the different layers, from the superficial to the deepest layer, are described using veterinary anatomical nomenclature. As expected, the anatomy of the rhesus monkey hand largely parallels human anatomy, which supports the value of the rhesus monkey as animal model. However, some remarkable differences have been identified as well. The present publication could therefore be useful when modeling the human hand (e.g., surgical protocols) using the rhesus monkey.