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VIDEO
CONTENT
QUIZ
MATERIALS
Quick Facts
Key Features
Ossification
Variations
Surface Anatomy
Clinical Correlates
Quick Facts
- Location: Hand
- Bone Type: Long bones
- Key Features: Head, body, base; medial and lateral surfaces; proximal and distal articular facets
- Articulation: Proximal phalanges, carpal bones (trapezium, trapezoid, capitate), adjacent metacarpals
- Arterial Supply: Palmar metacarpal arteries
Key Features & Anatomical Relations
- General Description: The five metacarpal bones are classified as long bones, each with distinct characteristics.
- Physical Characteristics:
- Parts: Head, body, and base
- Surfaces: Medial and lateral
- Landmarks: Proximal, distal, and specific carpal bone articular facets
- Location & Articulation:
- Proximal to: Proximal phalanges
- Distal to: Specific carpal bones (trapezium, trapezoid, capitate)
- Medial/Lateral to: Adjacent metacarpal bones
- Articulation: Metacarpophalangeal joints, carpometacarpal joints, intermetacarpal joints
Ossification
- Ossification Centers: Body (in utero, around the ninth week) and head (within the second to third years)
- Fusion: Occurs between the fifteenth to nineteenth years
Variations
- Pseudoepiphysis: Present at the proximal end in some individuals, fusing earlier than the epiphysis of the head
Surface Anatomy
- Palpation Points:
- Head: Palpable at the knuckles, especially during flexion of metacarpophalangeal joints
- Body and Base: Along the dorsal aspect of the hand
Clinical Correlates
- Fractures: Common in the base or body of metacarpal bones
- Specific Conditions:
- Boxer’s Fracture: Affecting primarily the fourth and fifth metacarpals
- Mauclaire’s Disease: Osteonecrosis of the metacarpal heads
