Intermetacarpal Articulations

Anatomy > Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body > III. Syndesmology > 6i. Intermetacarpal Articulations

Henry Gray (1821–1865). Anatomy of the Human Body. 1918.

Intermetacarpal Articulations

(Articulationes Intermetacarpeae; Articulations of the Metacarpal Bones with Each Other)

The bases of the second, third, fourth and fifth metacarpal bones articulate with one another by small surfaces covered with cartilage, and are connected together by dorsal, volar, and interosseous ligaments.

The dorsal (ligamenta basium oss. metacarp. dorsalia) and volar ligaments (ligamenta basium oss. metacarp. volaria; palmar ligaments) pass transversely from one bone to another on the dorsal and volar surfaces. The interosseous ligaments (ligamenta basium oss. metacarp. interossea) connect their contiguous surfaces, just distal to their collateral articular facets.

The synovial membrane for these joints is continuous with that of the carpometacarpal articulations.

The Transverse Metacarpal Ligament (ligamentum capitulorum [oss. metacarpalium] transversum) (Fig. 337)

This ligament is a narrow fibrous band, which runs across the volar surfaces of the heads of the second, third, fourth and fifth metacarpal bones, connecting them together. It is blended with the volar (glenoid) ligaments of the metacarpophalangeal articulations. Its volar surface is concave where the Flexor tendons pass over it; behind it the tendons of the Interossei pass to their insertions.

Additional images

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  The bones in the hand

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  The carpal and metacarpal bones in the hand

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  X-ray of the bones in the hand

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