Bones of the Hand & Wrist
The hand and wrist contain 27 bones arranged to combine stability, precision and a remarkable range of motion.
The wrist
Eight carpal bones form two rows between the forearm and the hand. Their shape and ligament connections allow the wrist to bend, extend and deviate while transferring load.
The palm
Five metacarpal bones form the structural rays of the palm. The first metacarpal at the thumb is especially mobile because of its saddle-shaped base joint.
The fingers
Each finger has three phalanges—proximal, middle and distal—while the thumb has two. Fracture alignment matters because small degrees of rotation can create major functional overlap when the fingers flex.
Why anatomy matters
Different bones heal at different rates and some have vulnerable blood supplies. Scaphoid fractures, for example, need particular attention because parts of the bone receive blood in a direction that can be disrupted by fracture.