The hand is composed of many different bones, muscles, and ligaments that allow for a large amount of movement and dexterity. There are 3 major
types of bones in the hand itself, including:
Numerous muscles, ligaments, tendons, and sheaths can be found within the hand. The muscles are the structures that can contract, allowing movement of the bones in the hand. The ligaments are fibrous tissues that help bind together the joints in the hand. The sheaths are tubular structures that surround part of the fingers. The tendons connect muscles in the arm or hand to the bone to allow movement. In addition, there are arteries, veins and nerves within the hand that provide blood flow and sensation to the hand and fingers. Your hand is made up of your wrist, palm, and fingers. Your wrist is made up of many smaller bones and joints that allow your hand to move in several directions. It also includes the distal ends of the forearm bones. Your palm is made up of 5 bones that connect to the 14 phalanges, or finger bones. Let’s take a closer look. Your wrist is made up of eight small bones called the carpal bones, or the carpus. These irregularly shaped bones join your hand to the two long forearm bones: the radius and ulna. The carpal bones are small square, oval, and triangular bones. The cluster of carpal bones in the wrist makes it both strong and flexible. Your wrist and hand wouldn’t work the same if your wrist joint were only made up of one or two larger bones. The eight carpal bones are:
Illustration by Jason Hoffman The wrist has three main joints. This makes the wrist more stable than if it had only one joint. It also gives your wrist and hand a wide range of movement, allowing for many different motions and positions. The wrist joints let your wrist move your hand up and down, like when you lift your hand to wave. These joints allow you to rotate your hand and bend your wrist forward and backward as well as side to side.
The metacarpals are the five long hand bones between your wrist and fingers. They make up the palm of your hand and are visible through the skin on the back of your hand. Each metacarpal bone corresponds to a digit (finger) and consists of a base, shaft or body, and head. Slightly thicker and shorter, the first metacarpal has the most mobility and can move on its own. The second through fifth metacarpals move alongside each other and are similar in size and shape. Of these four bones, the fourth and fifth are the most mobile. The five metacarpal bones are:
The finger bones are made up of 14 narrow bones called phalanges. Each of the four fingers consists of a proximal, middle, and distal phalanx. The thumb has a proximal and distal phalanx only. The three phalanges of the fingers are:
The finger joints provide movement and allow you to perform activities such as pinching and grasping, according to the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH). Per the ASSH, the four finger joints are:
The three thumb joints are:
It’s possible to injure or damage the ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves of your wrist, hand, and fingers. Several health conditions can also occur in this area. Common wrist, hand, and finger injuries and conditions include:
Your hand is made up of 27 bones in the wrist, palm, and fingers. It consists of 8 carpal bones, 5 metacarpal bones, and 14 phalanges. Along with the hand joints, these bones provide support, flexibility, and dexterity, so you can perform a range of activities and movements. How many bones are in each wrist and hand?Your wrist is made up of eight small bones (carpal bones) plus two long bones in your forearm — the radius and the ulna. Each finger consists of one hand bone (metacarpal) and three finger bones (phalanges), while each thumb consists of one metacarpal bone and two phalanges.
How many bones does your hand have?The human hand is made up of a total of 27 individual bones: 8 carpal bones, 5 metacarpal bones and 14 "finger bones" (also called phalanges) are connected by joints and ligaments.
What are the 8 bones of the wrist?There are eight wrist bones, including the scaphoid bone, which is often fractured.. Scaphoid. The scaphoid is a bone in the wrist. ... . Lunate. The lunate is a bone in the middle of the wrist in the first row of wrist bones. ... . Triquetrum. ... . Trapezoid. ... . Trapezium. ... . Capitate. ... . Hamate. ... . Pisiform.. What are the 8 bones of the hand?Scaphoid. Scaphoid (“boat-shaped”) is a boat-shaped bone which articulates proximally with the radius to form the radial border of the carpal tunnel.. Lunate. Lunate (“moon-shaped”) is a crescent-shaped bone articulating proximally with the radius. ... . Triquetrum. ... . Pisiform. ... . Trapezium. ... . Trapezoid. ... . Capitate. ... . Hamate.. |