Anatomy of the Hand and Wrist Bones

Author: Scott A. Sheffield MS

Last update: Aug 2nd, 2023

The hand is the most complex region of the upper limb skeleton. It consists of 27 bones arranged into three groups. From proximal to distal, these are:

• The carpal bones, which comprise the root of the hand
• The metacarpal bones, which compose the bony skeleton of the palm
• The phalanges, which comprise the skeleton of the fingers

These bones are connected via various joints that enable the smooth movements of the hand.

Easily and efficiently learn the bones of the body with interactive quizzes and labelling exercises.

Carpal bones

The carpal bones are 8 irregularly shaped bones distributed into proximal and distal rows. Proximally, they articulate with the radius via the radiocarpal joint, also known as the wrist joint. Distally, they form carpometacarpal joints with the metacarpal bones.

Learn the full anatomy of the carpal bones with our article: Carpal bones anatomy, labeled diagrams and interactive quiz

Metacarpal bones

The metacarpals are the five long bones that comprise the skeleton of the palm of the hand. They are located between the carpals and phalanges. Several hand muscles attach to the metacarpal bones, forming a sustainable musculoskeletal unit that supports the grip of the hand and fine movements coordination.

Learn about these bones with our article: Metacarpal bones anatomy, labeled diagrams and interactive quiz

Phalanges

The phalanges (sing. phalanx) are the 14 bones that compose the digits. They are called this way since they are serially aligned into proximal, middle and distal rows, resembling the ancient Greek military formations with the same name (phalanges). Each digit except for the thumb has all three phalanges, while the thumb consists only of the proximal and distal.

Improve your knowledge on the phalanges with our labeled diagrams and interactive quiz here: Phalanges bones anatomy, labeled diagrams and interactive quiz.

Bones of the hand quiz

Identify the bones of the hand with our interactive quiz:

References

• Open Anatomy. (n.d.). TA2 Viewer. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://ta2viewer.openanatomy.org/
• Moore, K. L. (2018). Clinically Oriented Anatomy (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.
• Drake, R. L., Vogl, A. W., & Mitchell, A. W. M. (2015). Gray’s Anatomy for Students (3rd ed.). Edinburgh, Scotland: Churchill Livingstone.
• Standring, S. (2021). Gray’s Anatomy (42tst ed.). Edinburgh: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.