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VIDEO
CONTENT
QUIZ
MATERIALS
Quick Facts
Key Features
Ossification
Surface Anatomy
Clinical Correlates
Quick Facts
- Location: Hand
- Bone Type: Long bones
- Key Features: Head, body, base; proximal and distal articular facets
- Articulation: Metacarpal bones and middle phalanges of fingers
- Arterial Supply: Proper palmar digital arteries
Key Features & Anatomical Relations
- General Description: The proximal phalanges are the first set of phalanges in each finger, numbering five in the hand.
- Physical Characteristics:
- Parts: Head, body, and base
- Landmarks: Proximal and distal articular facets
- Location & Articulation:
- Proximal to: Middle phalanges
- Distal to: Metacarpal bones
- Articulation: Metacarpophalangeal joints (with metacarpal bones) and proximal interphalangeal joints (with middle phalanges)
Ossification
- Ossification Centers: Body (appears in utero during the third month) and base (appears during the second year)
- Fusion: Typically completes between the fifteenth to eighteenth years
Surface Anatomy
- Palpation Points: The head, body, and base of each proximal phalanx can be palpated along the fingers.
Clinical Correlates
- Common Conditions:
- Fracture: Frequent in hand injuries
- Brachyphalangia: Shortening of the phalanges
- Symphalangia: Fusion of the phalanges
- Thiemann’s Disease: A rare condition affecting growth and development of phalanges
