The Body

Grown-ups

Hand and wrist bones

Carpals, metacarpals and phalanges, said KAR-pulz, met-uh-KAR-pulz and fuh-LAN-jeez

Each hand has 27 little bones, so your fingers can wiggle, grab, draw and wave.

Your hands and feet hold more than half of all your bones! Matching colours show the parts that are built the same way. Tap any part!

27 bones in one hand

Each of your hands has 27 bones. That's more than your whole arm and shoulder put together!

They come in three groups. Your wrist has 8 small bones. Your palm has 5 long bones. Your fingers and thumb have 14 bones.

Both hands together have 54 bones. That's about one quarter of all the bones in your body.

Wrist bones

Your wrist has 8 small bones in two rows of four. They are shaped like little pebbles and blocks. Their science name is carpals.

They slide and glide against each other. That lets your wrist bend up, down and side to side.

When a baby is born, these wrist bones are still mostly cartilage. They turn to bone one by one, over many years. Doctors can look at an X-ray of a kid's hand to see how much growing is left!

Palm and finger bones

Your palm has 5 long bones called metacarpals, one leading to each finger and your thumb. Make a fist: the big knuckles that pop up are the ends of these bones.

Your finger bones are called phalanges. Each finger has 3 of them. Your thumb has only 2.

Try it: bend your pointer finger and count its bends. There's one at the big knuckle and two more along the finger. Now bend your thumb. It bends in fewer places, because it has one fewer bone.

The amazing thumb

Your thumb sits a little apart from your fingers. It can swing across your palm to touch each fingertip. Try it: touch your thumb to each finger, one by one.

The joint at the bottom of your thumb, near your wrist, is shaped like a horse's saddle. It rocks two ways, which lets your thumb swing around.

That's what lets you pinch a tiny bead, hold a pencil and turn a key.

Why so many bones?

Lots of small bones means lots of joints. Each finger has three joints, and your wrist has many more. All those joints let your hand make all kinds of shapes.

Here's a surprise: there are no muscles inside your fingers. The muscles that bend them are in your palm and your forearm. They pull on long, strong cords called tendons, like the strings on a puppet.

Try it: hold your forearm with your other hand, then wiggle your fingers fast. Can you feel the muscles moving way up there?

🤩 Wow facts

  • Your two hands hold 54 bones, about one quarter of all the bones in your body.
  • There are no muscles inside your fingers. Muscles in your palm and forearm move them with tendons, like strings on a puppet.
  • Your thumb has 2 finger bones, and each of your other fingers has 3.
  • Doctors can look at an X-ray of a kid's hand to tell how much growing is left.
  • Your 8 wrist bones slide over each other, like pebbles in a bag.
  • The joint at the bottom of your thumb is shaped like a horse's saddle.

💚 Look after it

  • Wear wrist guards for skating and skateboarding.
  • Build, draw, clap and catch. Busy hands get skilled hands.
  • Keep fingers away from closing doors, drawers and car doors.
  • Eat calcium foods and play outside to keep your bones strong.

🩹 When something goes wrong

A jammed finger. If a ball hits the tip of your finger, the finger can get jammed. It may swell and feel stiff. Tell a grown-up. If it stays swollen, looks bent, or you can't move it, a doctor can check it.

🙋 Questions kids ask

Why does my thumb have fewer bones?

Your thumb has 2 finger bones instead of 3, so it's shorter. But it has a special saddle joint at its bottom that lets it swing across your palm.

What are my knuckles?

Knuckles are the joints of your fingers. The big ones that pop up when you make a fist are the ends of your palm bones.

Are my hands still growing?

Yes! Your hand bones have growing spots near their ends, and some of your wrist bones are still turning from cartilage into bone.

🧠 Quick quiz

Question 1 of 3How many bones are in one hand?

🔗 It works with

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