Metacarpals are what type of bone

View revision history Report problem with Article. Citation, DOI and article data. Olivier, M. Metacarpal bones. Reference article, Radiopaedia. URL of Article. On this page:. Quiz questions. Netter, Frank H. Atlas of Human Anatomy, Last's Anatomy. Elsevier Australia. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon 3.

Gray's Anatomy. Churchill Livingstone. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon 4. Panchal-Kildare S, Malone K. Skeletal anatomy of the hand. Related articles: Anatomy: Upper limb. Promoted articles advertising. Long bones function to support the weight of the body and facilitate movement. Long bones are mostly located in the appendicular skeleton and include bones in the lower limbs the tibia, fibula, femur, metatarsals, and phalanges and bones in the upper limbs the humerus, radius, ulna, metacarpals, and phalanges.

Short bones are about as long as they are wide. Located in the wrist and ankle joints, short bones provide stability and some movement. The carpals in the wrist scaphoid, lunate, triquetral, hamate, pisiform, capitate, trapezoid, and trapezium and the tarsals in the ankles calcaneus, talus, navicular, cuboid, lateral cuneiform, intermediate cuneiform, and medial cuneiform are examples of short bones.

Irregular bones vary in shape and structure and therefore do not fit into any other category flat, short, long, or sesamoid. They often have a fairly complex shape, which helps protect internal organs. For example, the vertebrae, irregular bones of the vertebral column, protect the spinal cord. The irregular bones of the pelvis pubis, ilium, and ischium protect organs in the pelvic cavity.

Sesamoid bones are bones embedded in tendons. These small, round bones are commonly found in the tendons of the hands, knees, and feet. Sesamoid bones function to protect tendons from stress and wear. The patella, commonly referred to as the kneecap, is an example of a sesamoid bone.

See more from our free eBook library. A description of types of bones from the edition of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body. The trapezium articulates with the scaphoid proximally and the first, thumb, and second metacarpal distally.

The trapezoid articulates with the scaphoid proximally and the second metacarpal distally. Metacarpal bones of the left hand : The metacarpals connect the carpal bones of the wrist with the phalanges finger bones.

The capitate articulates with the scaphoid and lunate proximally and the third and fourth metacarpal. Finally, the hamate articulates with the lunate and triquetral proximally and the fourth and fifth, little finger, metacarpals distally. The hand contains five metacarpal bones that articulate proximally with the carpals and distally with the proximal phalanges. They are numbered moving lateral to medial, and start with the thumb, which is metacarpal I, and end with metacarpal V, the little finger.

Each metacarpal consists of a base, shaft, and head, with the concave lateral and medial borders of the shaft allowing attachment of the interossei muscles. The digits are named in a similar fashion to the metacarpals, moving lateral to medial, and starting at the thumb.

With the exception of the thumb, each digit contains a proximal, intermediate, and distal phalange; the thumb lacks an intermediate phalange. The length of the phalanges decreases distally.

Human hand bones : Fingers are made up of proximal, intermediate, and distal phalanges.