The hand and wrist are made up of many different bones, muscles and ligaments that enable a wide range of movements.Hands are capable of a wide variety of functions, including gross and fine motor movements. Gross motor movements allow us to pick up large objects or perform heavy labor. Fine motor movements enable us to perform delicate tasks, such as holding small objects or performing detailed work. The complex abilities of the hand are part of what make humans unique. Only humans have the ability to bring our thumbs across the hand to connect with our ring and pinkie fingers. This ability provides us with the dexterity to use tools. It also gives us a forceful grip.

Finger Joints:

The joints of the fingers include the metacarpophalangeal joints and the interphalangeal joints. They’re all synovial joints with synovial membranes and fibrous joint capsules.

DIP Joint:

Distal interphalangeal joints are the articulations between the phalanges of the hand or foot.

PIP Joint:

proximal interphalangeal joints are the synovial joints between the proximal and middle phalanges of the fingers and of the toes.

COLLATERAL LIGAMENTS:

They include the medial (ulnar) and lateral (radial) collateral ligaments at the elbow, the medial (tibial) and lateral (fibular) collateral ligaments at the knee, the medial (deltoid) and lateral collateral ligaments at the ankle, and the collateral ligaments of the fingers.

CARPOMETACARPAL Joint:

The carpometacarpal (CMC) joints are five joints in the wrist that articulate the distal row of carpal bones and the proximal bases of the five metacarpal bones. The carpal bones are the eight small bones that make up the wrist (or carpus) that connects the hand to the forearm. In human anatomy, the main role of the wrist is to facilitate effective positioning of the hand and powerful use of the extensors and flexors of the forearm, and the mobility of individual carpal bones increase the freedom of movements at the wrist.

In tetrapods, the carpus is the sole cluster of bones in the wrist between the radius and ulna and the metacarpus. The bones of the carpus do not belong to individual fingers (or toes in quadrupeds), whereas those of the metacarpus do. The corresponding part of the foot is the tarsus. The carpal bones allow the wrist to move and rotate vertically.

Metacarpophalangeal joints:

The metacarpophalangeal joints (MCP) are situated between the metacarpal bones and the proximal phalanges of the digits. These joints are of the condyloid kind, formed by the reception of the rounded heads of the metacarpal bones into shallow cavities on the proximal ends of the proximal phalanges. Being condyloid, they allow the movements of flexion, extension, abduction, adduction and circumduction at the joint.

Interphalangeal joints:

The interphalangeal joints of the hand are the hinge joints between the phalanges of the hand (i.e. the finger bones).

There are two sets (except in the thumb):

“proximal interphalangeal joints” (PIJ or PIP), those between the first (also called proximal) and second (intermediate) phalanges

“distal interphalangeal joints” (DIJ or DIP), those between the second and third (distal) phalanges

Anatomically, the proximal and distal interphalangeal joints are very similar. There are some minor differences in how the volar plates are attached proximally and in the segmentation of the flexor tendon sheath, but the major differences are the smaller dimension and reduced mobility of the distal joint.