The Bones of the Hand:

Hand Bone Trivia

• The Scaphoid, also known as the Navicular bone, has a recurrent blood supply.  The artery enters distally and wraps around proximally.  Thus, even in distal fractures you may see proximal necrosis.
• Fractures of the navicular bone may be radiographically invisible.  If the clinical signs are consistent with fracture, treat it as a fracture; then repeat later and look for osteoclastic remodeling.
• Look at the Navicular fat pad for evidence of navicular fracture
• The most commonly fractured hand bone is the scaphoid.

• The most commonly dislocated bone in the hand is the lunate
• The most commonly fused bones in the hand are the lunate and triquetrum

• The trapezoid and trapezium were once known as the lesser and greater maltangular bones
• The trapezium is nearer to the thumb, "the thumb swings on the trapez-ium".

• The Hamulus was once known as the uncinate bone
• The hook of the hamulus was known as the unciform process of the uncinate bone

Hand Bone Trivia is based on a lecture by Clifton Leftridge, M.D., Georgetown University Medical Center, Department of Pediatric Radiology.
 

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Last modification: July 8, 1997