Hand
Part of: Musculoskeletal System
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Bones in the hand (palm side of the right hand) Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG)
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Carpal tunnel (palm side of the right hand) Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG)
About the Hand
The hand has a very delicate and complex structure, which allows muscles and joints in the hand a great range of movement and precision. The different forces are also distributed in the hand in the best possible way. But the hand is also quite vulnerable: tendons, nerve fibers, blood vessels and very thin bones are all positioned right under the skin and are only protected by a thin layer of muscle and fat. Only the palm is protected by a strong pad of tendons (aponeurosis) for a powerful grip. Our hands are put through quite a lot day in and day out, and are often within range of dangerous tools. This makes hand injuriesand problems due to wear and tear very common.
The right and left hand are each controlled by the opposite hemisphere of the brain. Usually one hand is preferred for fine and complex motion, leading us to speak of someone as being either right- or left-handed... Read more about the Hand
Terms to know
- Arm
- The upper limb, from the shoulder to the elbow. The arm and forearm are parts of the upper limb in the human body.
- Capitate Bone
- The largest of eight carpal bones, located in the center of the hand.
- Carpal Tunnel
- The carpal tunnel or carpal canal is the passageway on the palmar side of the wrist that connects the forearm to the middle compartment of the palm. The tunnel consists of bones and connective tissue. Several tendons and the median nerve pass through it.
- Carpometacarpal Joint
- The synovial joints between the carpal and metacarpal bones in the hand.
- Carpus (Carpal Bones)
- The group of bones that make up the wrist.
- Dominant Hand
- The preferred hand of use.
- Fingers
- A finger is a limb of the human body and a type of digit, an organ of manipulation and sensation.
- Flexor Retinaculum of the Hand
- The flexor retinaculum is a strong, fibrous band that arches over the carpus, converting the deep groove on the front of the carpal bones into a tunnel, the carpal tunnel, through which the flexor tendons of the digits and the median nerve pass.
- Hamate Bone
- The hamate is an irregularly-shaped carpal bone found within the hand.
- Interphalangeal Joint (Finger and Toe Joints)
- Hinge joints between the phalanges of the hand or foot.
- Lunate Bone
- The lunate is a crescent-shaped carpal bone found within the hand.
- Median Nerve
- The median nerve is a nerve in the upper limb. It is one of the five main nerves originating from the brachial plexus. It gives off a branch in the upper arm as it passes the elbow joint. The median nerve enters the hand through the carpal tunnel.
- Metacarpal Bones
- Any of the five bones between the wrist and the fingers that form the skeleton of the palm.
- Metacarpophalangeal Joint
- The metacarpophalangeal joints (MCP) refer to the joints between the metacarpal bones and the phalanges of the fingers.
- Metacarpus
- The region of the hand between the wrist and the fingers.
- Palm
- The central region of the front of the hand.
- Phalanges
- The phalanges are bones in the toes and fingers. The thumbs and big toes have two phalanges while the other digits have three phalanges.
- Pisiform Bone
- The pisiform bone is a small knobbly, pea-shaped bone that is found in the wrist. Unlike the other carpal bones, the pisiform is not involved in movement of the wrist.
- Radius
- The smaller of the two bones of the forearm. It is located on the thumb side of the arm.
- Scaphoid Bone
- The scaphoid bone is one of the carpal bones of the wrist. It is situated between the hand and forearm on the thumb side of the wrist (also called the lateral or radial side). It forms the radial border of the carpal tunnel. It is approximately the size and shape of a medium cashew.
- Tendon Sheath
- A tendon sheath is a layer of membrane around a tendon. It permits the tendon to move. It has two layers: synovial sheath and fibrous tendon sheath.
- Tendons
- Tough, fibrous, cord-like tissue that connects muscle to bone or another structure, such as an eyeball. Tendons help the bone or structure to move.
- Thumb
- The short thick digit of the hand that for humans has the most mobility and can be made to oppose (moved to touch) all of the other fingers.
- Touch
- Tactile sense; the sense by which contact with the skin or mucous membrane is experienced.
- Trapezium Bone
- The trapezium bone is a carpal bone in the wrist. It forms the radial border of the carpal tunnel.
- Trapezoid Bone
- The trapezoid is a four-sided carpal bone found within the hand.
- Triquetrum Bone
- The triquetral is one of the eight carpal bones of the hand. It is a three-sided bone.
- Ulna
- The bone of the forearm that extends from the elbow to the wrist on the side opposite to the thumb.
- Wrist
- The complex joint between forearm bones, carpus, and metacarpals where the hand is attached to the arm.
