5. Bones of the Fingers
• Distal Phalanges: located on the top of the finger;
each has a convex dorsal surface and a flat
palmar surface; rough elevation provides support
for the nail bed
• Middle Phalanges: located between the distal and
proximal phalanges; does not exist on the thumb
• Proximal Phalanges: lie at the base of the finger;
connect to the the metacarpals at the knuckle
6. Bones of the Hand
• Metacarpals: make up the knuckles of the
hand; are the bones of the palm; long bone
• Carpals: connect the hand to forearm; are the
bones of the wrist; facilitate positioning of the
hand; consist of eight bones:
hamate, pisiform, triquetrum, capitate, lunate,
trapezoid, trapezium, and the scaphoid
7. Joints of the Hand
• Metacarpophalangealjoint: joints of the fingerswhen
the fist is closed; connect the proximalphalanges to the
metacarpals; synovialjoint with the movements of
extension, flexion, and abduction
• Interphalangealjoints: locatedbetween the phalanges;
hingejoint with only the movements of flexion and
extension; contains a fibrouscapsule for extrastability
and strength
• BasilarJoint: located at the base of the thumb;
formedby a smallbone in the wrist and the metacarpal
of the thumb
10. Fingertip and Nail Complex
• Sterile Matrix: commonly known as the nail bed; it extends
from the lunula to the hyponychium; contains the blood
vessels, nerves, and melanocytes
• Germinal Matrix: root of the fingernail; located mostly
beneath the skin; forms most of the volume of the nail; only
visible part is the edge of the germinal matrix (lunula)
• Lunula: white cresent shape structure in the germinal matrix
• Eponychium: more commonly known as the cuticle; fuses
together the skin of the finger and the nail bed for a
waterproof barrier.
• Nail Plate: this is the actual nail of a finger; composed of
keratin; has a pink appearance due to the blood vessels
beneath it
13. Muscles of the hand (as seen in
drawing)
• First Dorsal Interossei: four muscles located in the
back of the hand; act by spreading the
index, middle, and ring fingers away from the
hand as well as assist in flexion at the knuckle
joints, and extension in the finger joints
• Adductorpollicis: functionstoadductthethumb;
fan-shaped and flat; beneaththelong flexor
tendons and lumbrical
muscles, butoverliethemetacarpalbones
• Opponenspollicis: functions to oppose the
thumb; small triangular muscle
14. Muscles of the Hand (as seen in
drawing)
• OpponensDigitiMinimi: triangular muscle of
the hand; functions to flex and laterally rotate
the little finger; innervated by the deep
branch of the ulnar nerve
• FlexorDigiti Minimi Brevis: flexes the
littlefinger; a hypothenarmuscle;
alsoinnervatedby the deepbranch of the
ulnarnerve
16. Works Cited
• "Abductor Muscles and Their Function." Abductor Muscles and Their
Function. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2013.
• "Basal Joint Arthritis." Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle. Orthopedic
Specialists of Seattle, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2013.
• Brannan, Heather, MD. "Nail." About.com Dermatology. N.p., n.d. Web. 30
Mar. 2013.
• "Carpal Bones." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and
Research, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2013.
• De Lange, A. "Result Filters." National Center for Biotechnology
Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2013.
• Dery, Bernard. "Bones of the Hand." Bones of the Hand. N.p., n.d. Web. 30
Mar. 2013.
• "Flexor DigitiMinimiBrevis (hand)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 15
Mar. 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2013.
• " Hand Anatomy." Hand Anatomy. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2013.
