Carpal bones
Last revised by David Luong
on 27 Feb 2024
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Luijkx T, Luong D, Yu Y, et al. Carpal bones. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 18 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-33702
rID:
33702
Article created:
21 Jan 2015,
Tim Luijkx
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Tim Luijkx had no recorded disclosures.
View Tim Luijkx's current disclosures
Last revised:
27 Feb 2024,
David Luong
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised David Luong had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View David Luong's current disclosures
Revisions:
15 times, by
13 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Synonyms:
- Carpus (wrist bones)
- Carpalia
- Ossa carpalia
- Ossa carpi
- Carpal bone
- Carpals
The carpal bones, also known as the carpus (plural: carpi), are the eight bones of the wrist that form the articulation of the forearm with the hand. They are usually divided into two rows:
The names and order of these bones can be remembered through various mnemonics.
Terminology
Somewhat confusingly, the term carpus can also be used as a synonym for the wrist joint as a whole.
Variant anatomy
lunula, an accessory ossification centre within the ulnomeniscal homologue 2
hypoplastic hook of hamate 2
References
- 1. Susan Standring. Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. (2008) ISBN: 9780443066849 - Google Books
- 2. Timins M. Osseous Anatomic Variants of the Wrist: Findings on MR Imaging. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1999;173(2):339-44. doi:10.2214/ajr.173.2.10430131 - Pubmed
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Capitate
- Upper extremity fractures
- Hand series
- Scaphoid fracture
- Wrist
- Effect of isolated pronation-supination (lateral wrist radiograph)
- Lunate
- Radial artery
- Hands
- Proximal row carpectomy
- Carpometacarpal joint dislocation
- Wrist (radial deviation view)
- Intraosseous ganglion
- Carpal tunnel
- Dorsal intercarpal ligament
- Scaphoid fracture (summary)
- Torus fracture
- Appendicular skeleton
- Carpal instability
- MRI of the wrist (an approach)
Cases:
- Lunotriquetral coalition
- Delayed bone age
- Carpal bones - annotated
- Hand - ossification centres (Gray's illustration)
- Hamate (Gray's illustration)
- Capitate (Gray's illustration)
- Trapezioid (Gray's illustration)
- Trapezium (Gray's illustration)
- Pisiform (Gray's illustration)
- Triquetrum (Gray's illustration)
- Lunate (Gray's illustration)
- Scaphoid (Gray's illustration)
- Wrist and hand bones - muscle attachments (Gray's illustration)
- Volar wrist ganglion cyst - ulnar side
- Wrist anatomy (illustration)
- Lateral wrist anatomy (illustration)
- Scapholunate fracture with dorsal intercalated segmental instability
- Dorsal and volar intercalated segmental instability and normal carpal bone anatomy (illustrations)
- Pisiform fracture
- Scaphoid pseudoarthrosis
Multiple choice questions:
Related articles: Anatomy: Upper limb
-
skeleton of the upper limb
- clavicle
- scapula
- humerus
- radius
- ulna
- hand
- accessory ossicles of the upper limb
- accessory ossicles of the shoulder
- accessory ossicles of the elbow
-
accessory ossicles of the wrist (mnemonic)
- os centrale carpi
- os epilunate
- os epitriquetrum
- os styloideum
- os hamuli proprium
- lunula
- os triangulare
- trapezium secondarium
- os paratrapezium
- os radiostyloideum (persistent radial styloid)
- joints of the upper limb
-
pectoral girdle
-
shoulder joint
- articulations
- associated structures
- joint capsule
- bursae
- ligaments
- movements
- scapulothoracic joint
-
glenohumeral joint
- arm flexion
- arm extension
- arm abduction
- arm adduction
- arm internal rotation (medial rotation)
- arm external rotation (lateral rotation)
- circumduction
- arterial supply - scapular anastomosis
- ossification centres
-
shoulder joint
-
elbow joint
- proximal radioulnar joint
- ligaments
- associated structures
- movements
- alignment
- arterial supply - elbow anastomosis
- development
-
wrist joint
- articulations
-
ligaments
- intrinsic ligaments
- extrinsic ligaments
- radioscaphoid ligament
- dorsal intercarpal ligament
- dorsal radiotriquetral ligament
- dorsal radioulnar ligament
- volar radioulnar ligament
- radioscaphocapitate ligament
- long radiolunate ligament
- Vickers ligament
- short radiolunate ligament
- ulnolunate ligament
- ulnotriquetral ligament
- ulnocapitate ligament
- ulnar collateral ligament
- associated structures
- extensor retinaculum
- flexor retinaculum
- joint capsule
- movements
- alignment
- ossification centres
-
hand joints
- articulations
- carpometacarpal joint
-
metacarpophalangeal joints
- palmar ligament (plate)
- collateral ligament
-
interphalangeal joints
- palmar ligament (plate)
- collateral ligament
- movements
- ossification centres
- articulations
-
pectoral girdle
- spaces of the upper limb
- muscles of the upper limb
- shoulder girdle
- anterior compartment of the arm
- posterior compartment of the arm
-
anterior compartment of the forearm
- superficial
- intermediate
- deep
-
posterior compartment of the forearm (extensors)
- superficial
- deep
- muscles of the hand
-
accessory muscles
- elbow
- volar wrist midline
- palmaris longus profundus
- aberrant palmaris longus
- volar wrist radial-side
- accessory flexor digitorum superficialis indicis
- flexor indicis profundus
- flexor carpi radialis vel profundus
- accessory head of the flexor pollicis longus (Gantzer muscle, common)
- volar wrist ulnar-side
- dorsal wrist
- blood supply to the upper limb
-
arteries
- subclavian artery (mnemonic)
- axillary artery
- brachial artery (proximal portion)
- ulnar artery
- radial artery
- veins
-
arteries
- innervation of the upper limb
- intercostobrachial nerve
-
brachial plexus (mnemonic)
- branches from the roots
- branches from the trunks
- branches from the cords
- lateral cord
- posterior cord
- medial cord
- terminal branches
- lymphatic drainage of the upper limb
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