The human body is a complex system in which each mechanism - organ, bone or muscle - has a strictly defined place and function. Violation of one or another aspect can lead to serious damage - human illness. This text will discuss in detail the structure and anatomy of bones and other parts of the human hands.
Hand bones as part of the human skeleton
The skeleton is the basis and support of any part of the body. In turn, bone is an organ that has a specific structure, consists of several tissues and performs a specific function.
Each individual bone (including the human hand bone) has:
- unique origin;
- development cycle;
- structure of the building.
Most importantly, each bone occupies a strictly defined place in the human body.
Structure of the human skeleton
Bones perform a large number of functions in the body, such as:
- supporting;
- blood-forming;
- protective.
Causes of hygroma of the wrist joint
The main causes of hygroma:
- Wrist injury
- Large loads on the hand and wrist joint;
- Consequences of hand surgery.
- Repetitive injuries such as playing tennis or golf.
Hygromas on the hand form when the joint capsule becomes thinner due to injury or degenerative changes. The damaged tissue forms a weak spot in the joint capsule, like a weak spot on a car tire, allowing the inner layer to herniate. The joint fluid begins to squeeze out the weakened layer of the capsule, pushing apart the surrounding tissue. Over time it gets bigger. But if you limit the load on the wrist joint, this will lead to a decrease in the production of intra-articular fluid and stop the growth of hygroma. Cases of spontaneous healing of hygroma after reducing the load have been described.
General description of the hand
The bones located in the shoulder girdle provide connection between the arm and the rest of the body, as well as between the muscles and various joints.
The hand includes:
- shoulder;
- forearm;
- brush.
The elbow joint helps the arm gain greater freedom of maneuver and the ability to perform some vital functions.
Drawing of parts of a human hand
The different parts of the arm articulate with each other thanks to three bones:
- Shoulder.
- Elbow.
- Radial.
In turn, the bones in the hand are connected to each other thanks to articular groups. In this case, the last two bones (2 and 3) are articulated in a movable form. Consequently, with any movement in the articular parts, the radius produces rotational movements around the ulna.
The meaning and functions of the hand bones
The bones of the hands perform key functions in the human body.
The main ones are:
- container function;
- protective;
- supporting;
- motor;
- anti-gravity;
- mineral metabolism function;
- hematopoietic;
- immune.
It has been known since school that the human species evolved from primates. Indeed, human bodies anatomically have much in common with their less developed ancestors. Including the structure of the hands.
It is no secret that during the course of evolution the human hand has changed due to labor activity. The structure of the human hand is fundamentally different from the structure of the hands of primates and other animals.
Bone marrow
As a result, it acquired the following features:
- The tendons of the hand, as well as nerve fibers and blood vessels, are located in a certain groove.
- The bones that form the thumb are wider than the bones of other fingers. This can be seen in the figure below.
- The length of the phalanges from the index finger to the little finger is shorter than in primates.
- The bones in the hand, located in the palm area and articulated with the thumb, have shifted towards the palm.
Comparison of the human and primate hand
How to prepare for brachioplasty
Plastic surgery requires the same serious preparation as any other surgical procedure.
First of all, you need to meet with the plastic surgeon in person. The doctor will assess the thickness and condition of the skin and subcutaneous fat layer and, based on the data obtained, will suggest tactics for future surgery.
Then the patient needs to undergo several laboratory and instrumental tests (the exact list of tests will be given by the doctor or clinic manager). This stage of preparation should not be taken lightly, since preoperative examination may reveal a serious contraindication.
Contraindications to brachioplasty, as to any surgical intervention, are: cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, blood diseases, skin lesions, infections, as well as pregnancy, lactation and young age under 18 years.
Surgical correction of the arms is not performed on patients who have previously undergone a mastectomy (surgical removal of the breast) or surgery on the lymph nodes in the armpit.
Anatomical parts of the hand
The entire hand as a whole includes the following sections.
Shoulder girdle, consisting of parts:
- The scapula is a predominantly flat, triangular-shaped bone that provides articulation between the collarbone and shoulder.
- The clavicle is a “tube” shaped bone, made in an S-shape, connecting the sternum and scapula.
The shoulder itself, which contains the humerus - a long tubular bone that serves as the bony base of the shoulder.
Forearm, including bones:
- The radius is a paired bone of a part such as the forearm, resembling a trihedron.
- The ulna is a paired bone located on the inside of the forearm.
The hand contains bones:
- Wrist.
- Metacarpus.
Structure of the hand
Treatment, treatment and more treatment
If the arm between the hand and elbow hurts, treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs is started. It is better to use them internally; ointments and gels are indicated in rare cases. You can often start physiotherapy right away. After alleviating the pain, they begin to treat the cause of the disease or carry out treatment that is designed to prolong the period of remission. This could be massage, continuation of physiotherapy, but with other procedures, physical therapy. If the problem was caused by incorrect posture or load, the patient will have to change his habits.
If your right or left arm hurts in the area from the elbow to the hand, you should not delay seeing a doctor. Conditions that do not require treatment go away on their own within a few days, proceed without swelling, partial loss of sensitivity and motor function. All other cases require consultation with a doctor.
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Complex treatment in the network’s clinics is provided by doctors in such specialized areas as traumatology and orthopedics, manual therapy and osteopathy, neurology and therapy, physiotherapy and reflexology, as well as specialists in other medical professions in demand among the population (cardiology, surgery, dietetics). Unique techniques and innovative equipment allow you to quickly and accurately make the correct diagnosis, and most importantly, correctly prescribe the necessary course of effective therapy.
How are the bones of the shoulder girdle arranged?
As mentioned above, the scapula is a predominantly flat, triangular-shaped bone located on the back of the body. On it you can see two surfaces (costal and posterior), three angles, as well as three edges.
The middle section of the scapula is convex from top to bottom. At the bottom of the collarbone there is a nutrient opening. The outer area of the clavicle is convexly facing back, and the inner area is convex forward.
The clavicle is a bone paired in the shape of the Latin letter S.
It has two ends:
- Sternal . Near its end there is a depression for the costoclavicular ligament.
- Acromial. Thickened and articulates with the humeral process of the scapula.
The structure of the collarbone
Shoulder structure
The main movements of the arms are performed by the shoulder joint.
It contains two main bones:
- The humerus, a long tubular bone, serves as the basis for the entire human shoulder.
- The scapula bone provides the connection between the clavicle and the shoulder, while it is connected to the shoulder by the glenoid cavity. It is quite easy to detect under the skin.
Bones of the shoulder girdle
From the back of the scapula you can see the spine, which divides the bone in half. The so-called infraspinatus and supraspinatus muscle clusters are located on it. Also on the scapula you can find the coracoid process . With its help, various ligaments and muscles are attached.
The next arm bone to the scapula is a tubular, curved bone called the clavicle. Flexion and extension of the arm, as well as other movements, are performed by a muscle called the rotator cuff.
The structure of the bones of the forearm
Radius
This component of the arm, the radius, is located on the outer or lateral side of the forearm.
It consists of:
- Proximal epiphysis. It consists of a head and a small depression in the center.
- Articular surface.
- Shakey.
- Distal epiphysis. It has a notch on the inside of the elbow.
- A process resembling an awl.
Radius
Elbow bone
This component of the hand is located on the inside of the forearm.
It consists of:
- Proximal epiphysis. It is connected to the lateral part of the lateral bone. This is possible thanks to the block-shaped notch.
- Processes limiting the trochlear notch.
- Distal epiphysis. With its help, a head is formed, on which you can see a circle that serves to attach the radius.
- Styloid process.
- Diaphysis.
Elbow bone
Brachioplasty techniques
An arm lift is performed using the following techniques:
- complete (extensive) brachioplasty;
- transaxillary brachioplasty;
- thread lifting of the skin of the hands.
Extensive brachioplasty
This type of arm brachioplasty is used when there is significant (with extensive folds) sagging skin on the inner surface of the shoulder. Often this technique is performed simultaneously with abdominoplasty or mammoplasty.
The shapes of the incisions used for extensive brachioplasty vary:
T-shaped incision is made to remove large amounts of flaccid, inelastic skin. This form of surgical access allows you to tighten soft tissues and skin over the entire area of the shoulder and upper forearm. After healing, the T-shaped scar turns pale and becomes less noticeable.
The S-shaped incision is excellent for manipulating skin that has not lost its elasticity. Through this incision, excess tissue is excised from both the inside and outside of the arm. The suture after intervention through the S-shaped incision also becomes less noticeable over time.
1 Operation brachioplasty
2 Operation brachioplasty
3 Operation brachioplasty
Transaxillary brachioplasty
This less invasive technique is used when the patient does not have a lot of excess skin. Transaxillary brachioplasty is often successfully combined with liposuction using vacuum aspiration, ultrasound or laser liposuction.
In this technique, the surgeon removes excess skin through a small ellipse-shaped incision in the armpit. Thus, the already short postoperative suture is located in a place that is as closed as possible from indiscreet views.
Thread lifting of the skin of the hands
If the skin has slight sagging, the patient may be recommended a gentle and very effective method of thread lifting of the skin of the hands.
All manipulations to tighten soft tissues and skin of the hands are carried out through very small punctures. The operation is performed under local or intravenous anesthesia.
Brachioplasty. Photos before and after the procedure.
1 Brachioplasty: before and after
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Structure of the hand
Wrist
This part includes 8 bones.
All of them are small in size and arranged in two rows:
- Proximal row. It consists of 4.
- Distal row. Also includes 4 dice.
In total, all the bones form a groove-like groove of the wrist, in which lie the tendons of the muscles that allow you to bend and straighten your fist.
Wrist
Metacarpus
The metacarpus, or, more simply, part of the palm, includes 5 bones that are tubular in nature and have a description:
- One of the largest bones is the bone of the first finger. It connects to the wrist using the saddle joint.
- It is followed by the longest bone - the index finger bone, which also articulates with the bones of the wrist using the saddle joint.
- Then everything goes like this: each subsequent bone is shorter than the previous one . In this case, all remaining bones are attached to the wrist.
- With the help of hemisphere-shaped heads, the metacarpal bones of the human hands are attached to the proximal phalanges.
Metacarpus
Finger bones
All fingers of the hand are formed from phalanges. Moreover, all of them, with one exception, have a proximal (longest), middle, and distal (shortest) phalanges.
The exception is the first finger of the hand, which lacks the middle phalanx. The phalanges are attached to human bones using articular surfaces.
Finger bones
The nature of the sensations is half the diagnosis
The nature of the pain from the elbow to the hand can be different: aching, pulling, burning, stabbing.
It can occur at rest, during exercise, or when performing certain movements. It can be one-time occurrence, regularly recurring and continuous. Sometimes painful sensations are accompanied by dysfunction of the joints of the hand or fingers. In order to establish a diagnosis, the doctor needs to know all these features: their combinations allow, in some cases, to accurately establish the diagnosis without additional expensive studies.
Sesamoid bones of the hand
In addition to the main bones listed above, which make up the wrist, metacarpus and fingers, there are also so-called sesamoid bones in the hand.
They are located in places where tendons accumulate, mainly between the near phalanx of the 1st finger and the metacarpal bone of the same finger on the surface of the palm of the hand. True, sometimes they can be found on the reverse side.
These bones (including their processes) make it possible to increase the strength of the muscles that are attached to them.
The non-permanent sesamoid bones of the human hands are distinguished. They can be found between the proximal phalanges of the second and fifth fingers, as well as their metacarpal bones.
Sesamoid bones
The structure of the joints of the hand
The human hand has three main articular sections, which have names:
- The shoulder joint is shaped like a ball, so it can move widely and with a large amplitude.
- The ulna connects three bones at once, has the ability to move in a small range, bend and straighten the arm.
- The wrist joint is the most mobile and is located at the end of the radius bone.
Articulations of the hand
The hand contains many small joints called:
- The midcarpal joint combines all the rows of bones in the wrist.
- Carpometacarpal joint.
- Metacarpophalangeal joints – attach the bones of the fingers to the hand.
- Interphalangeal connection . There are two of them on any finger. And the bones of the thumb contain a single interphalangeal joint.
Joints of the hand
Why does pain occur?
The main reasons why arms hurt from the elbow to the hand are the same as for wrist pain. This is inflammation. The factors that cause it are injuries, diseases of the spine and edema, and tunnel syndromes. Tumors are less common.
What diseases do the hands suffer from?
When the arm from the elbow to the hand is very painful after an injury or sudden load, you need to consult a traumatologist to rule out a fracture. If the sore spot swells and mobility is impaired, medical attention is needed immediately.
If the arm from the elbow to the hand hurts so much that it is impossible to tolerate, and there were no external reasons for this (trauma, overload), it is necessary to consult a doctor urgently, at any time of the day. This is how deep vein thrombosis can manifest itself. This condition is life-threatening.
Pain during ischemia and myocardial infarction can radiate to the arm, more often the left. In this case, the pain is always one-sided and occurs without connection with increased loads on the limb. In this case, pay attention to the general condition of the patient: is there any shortness of breath, are the lips turning blue. Measure your blood pressure. If there is the slightest deviation from the norm in the patient’s general condition, call an ambulance: without an ECG, even a doctor cannot confidently say whether there is a threat to life.
If the arm muscles from the elbow to the hand hurt more when bending the arm, you should suspect a problem with the elbow or shoulder joint - arthritis or arthrosis. Hands usually hurt on the bends of the wrists if one of the wrist joints is affected.
When a burning sensation and pain in the arm occur just below the elbow, and it hurts as if from inside the forearm to the hand, we can confidently speak of a pinched median nerve. Especially if the pain spreads to the fingers other than the little finger. This disease is caused by overexertion and, as a result, microtrauma and swelling of the muscle that lifts, flexes and rotates the forearm. Those at risk include musicians, dentists, athletes and nursing mothers. Depending on the load, pain can occur on one or both arms.
The outer side of the forearm is bothersome with radial nerve compression syndrome. The disease has three variants, which are distinguished by origin: the pain arose due to compression in the armpit (found in those who are forced to walk on crutches for a long time), in the middle of the shoulder (found in people who sleep deeply in uncomfortable positions, in newlyweds when one partner falls asleep with his head on the other’s shoulder, or directly at the elbow, which is caused by degeneration of the tissues surrounding the joint.
If, according to the patient, the bones of both arms from the elbow to the hand hurt, this is most often associated with diseases of the cervical spine.
The structure of tendons and ligaments of the human hand
The human palm includes tendons that act as flexor mechanisms, and the back of the hand contains tendons that act as extensors. With the help of these groups of tendons, the hand can be compressed and unclenched.
It should be noted that on each finger on the hand there are also two tendons that allow you to bend your fist:
- First. It consists of two legs, between which the flexion apparatus is located.
- Second. It is located on the surface and articulates with the middle phalanx, and deep in the muscles it connects with the distal phalanx.
In turn, the joints of the human hand are held in their normal position thanks to ligaments - elastic and strong groups of connective tissue fibers.
The ligamentous apparatus of the human hand consists of the following ligaments:
- Interarticular.
- Tylnykh.
- Ladonnykh.
- Collateral.
The structure of tendons and ligaments of the human hand
How to find out the diagnosis
In order to establish a diagnosis for pain from the elbow to the hand in the right or left arm, first of all, examination data is used: many diseases and syndromes give an unambiguous reaction to certain motor tests, which easily makes it possible to establish a diagnosis.
X-ray or ultrasound examination can be used to clarify the diagnosis. Blood tests are rarely ordered. Diagnosis is carried out by a neurologist, a surgeon, and in rare cases, a cardiologist and an endocrinologist are involved.
The structure of the arm muscles
The muscular frame of the arms is divided into two large groups - the shoulder girdle and the free upper limb.
The shoulder girdle includes the following muscles:
- Deltoid.
- Supraspinatus.
- Infraspinatus.
- Small round.
- Big round.
- Subscapular.
Muscle structure
The free upper surface consists of muscles:
- Shoulder.
- Forearms.
- Hands.
Forearm muscles
Functional role
Speaking about the anatomy of the hand, one cannot fail to mention the functional and clinical role of its structural features.
The first lies in the features of the function performed by the limb. Thanks to the complex structure of the hand, the following is achieved:
- A strong belt of the upper limbs holds the free part of the arm and allows you to perform enormous loads.
- The moving part of the arm has complex but important joints. Large joints have a large range of movements that are important for the operation of the hand.
- The fine articulations and work of the muscle structures of the hand and forearm are necessary for the formation of precise movements. This is necessary to carry out daily and professional activities of a person.
- The supporting function of fixed structures is complemented by muscle movements, the number of which is especially large in the hand.
- Large vessels and nerve bundles provide blood supply and innervation to these complex structures.
The functional role of the anatomy of the hand is important for both the doctor and the patient to know.