The TuneUp Program

The fingers comprise of three long bones called phalanges while the thumb has just two. Each of the four fingers and the thumb attach to a corresponding metacarpal, long bones that form the body of the hand.

The joints where these bones articulate are named according to these bones. So we have metacarpophalangeal joints between the metacarpals and phalanges and interphalangeal joints, distal and proximal, between the phalanges. The five metacarpals connect with the wrist at the carpometacarpal joints.

Apart from the thumb, which has a wide range of motion, flexion and extension is the main movement of all of the joints in the hand. The range of flexion increases from radius to ulna so the little finger has more than the first.

The fingers are also able to adduct and abduct, allowing us to spread the fingers. It occurs mainly at the metacarpophalangeal joints (so the fingers move but the metacarpals don't) although the metacarpal of the little finger is also capable of lateral movement. When the wrist or fingers are flexed this lateral movement is restricted.