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Carpus
This article is about Carpal bones. In Greek mythology, Carpus (Greek: Karpos, "fruit") was a son of Chloris and Zephyrus.
In tetrapods, the carpus is the cluster of bones in the hand between the radius and ulna and the metacarpus. The bones of the carpus do not belong to individual fingers, whereas those of the metacarpus do. The joint between the radius and ulna and the carpus is called the wrist. The corresponding part of the foot is the tarsus.
The skeleton of the hand [Figs. 1, 2] is subdivided into three segments:
- the carpus or wrist bones;
- the metacarpus or bones of the palm;
- and the phalanges or bones of the digits.
Carpus - The Carpus Ossa Carpi
The carpal bones, eight in number, are arranged in two rows.
- Those of the proximal row, from the radial to the ulnar side, are:
- Scaphoid bone
- Lunate bone
- Triquetral bone
- Pisiform bone
- Those of the distal row, in the same order, are:
- Trapezium (bone)
- Trapezoid bone
- Capitate bone
- Hamate bone
(One mnemonic to remember these is "some lovers try positions that they can't handle".)
Carpus - Common Characteristics of the Carpal Bones
Each bone (excepting the pisiform) presents six surfaces.
Of these the volar or anterior and the dorsal or posterior surfaces are rough, for ligamentous attachment; the dorsal surfaces being the broader, except in the navicular and lunate.
The superior or proximal, and inferior or distal surfaces are articular, the superior generally convex, the inferior concave; the medial and lateral surfaces are also articular where they are in contact with contiguous bones, otherwise they are rough and tuberculated.
The structure in all is similar: cancellous tissue enclosed in a layer of compact bone.
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.
SKULL: cranial (frontal | parietal | temporal | occipital | sphenoid | ethmoid) | facial (zygomatic | maxilla | nasal | mandible | palatine | lacrimal | vomer | inferior nasal conchae) | ossicles (malleus | incus | stapes) | other (hyoid)
UPPER LIMBS: arm (humerus | ulna | radius) | carpus (scaphoid | lunate bone | triquetral | pisiform | trapezium | trapezoid | capitate | hamate) | metacarpals | phalanges (proximal | intermediate | distal)
THORAX AND SHOULDER: clavicle | scapula | sternum | rib | vertebrae (cervical - atlas - axis | thoracic | lumbar) | coccyx | ossa coxae | sacrum
LOWER LIMBS: leg (femur | patella | fibula | tibia) | tarsus (calcaneus | talus | navicular | cuneiform | cuboid ) | metatarsals | phalanges (proximal | intermediate | distal)
Other related archivesCapitate bone, Chloris, Gray's Anatomy, Greek mythology, Hamate bone, Karpos, Lunate bone, Pisiform bone, SHOULDER, SKULL, Scaphoid bone, THORAX, Trapezium (bone), Trapezoid bone, Triquetral bone, Zephyrus, arm, atlas, axis, bones, calcaneus, cancellous, capitate, cervical, clavicle, coccyx, cuboid, cuneiform, distal, ethmoid, femur, fibula, foot, frontal, hamate, hand, humerus, hyoid, incus, inferior nasal conchae, intermediate, lacrimal, leg, lumbar, lunate bone, malleus, mandible, maxilla, metacarpals, metacarpus, metatarsals, mnemonic, nasal, navicular, occipital, ossa coxae, ossicles, palatine, parietal, patella, pisiform, proximal, public domain, radius, rib, sacrum, scaphoid, scapula, sphenoid, stapes, sternum, talus, tarsus, temporal, tetrapods, thoracic, tibia, trapezium, trapezoid, triquetral, ulna, vertebrae, vomer, wrist, zygomatic
 Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Carpus", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki |
