Each hand is made up of twenty-seven bones which form the wrist, palm (and back), and fingers. These bones are articularly specialized, allowing a wide range of flexibility and manipulation. Eight of these bones form the compact arrangement of the wrist, or carpus. These |carpal bones| include the navicular, the lunate, the pisiform, the capitate, the trapezium, the trapezoid, the hamate, and the |triquetrum|. These |carpal bones| are arranged generally in two rows, the proximal (nearer the body) and distal (nearer the fingers). The distal |carpals| articulate with the five |metacarpals|. The long |metacarpals| form the broad structure of the hand, as seen in the dorsal or palmate views. These, in turn, articulate with the |proximal phalanges| (finger bones). The |proximal phalanges| join with the |middle phalanges|, which articulate with the end sections of the fingers, called |distal phalanges|. The thumb is the exception, as it lacks a |middle phalanx|.
