The amazing story of our hand and wrist (Anatomy of the Hand and Wrist)

Have you ever just thought about how amazingly our hands and wrists work? Just think, from holding a cup of tea in the morning, to typing on the phone, writing a book, and lifting a weight, we do a thousand things with these two hands. But we don't think much about how many complex things work together in this small space, do we? Today, let's talk about this amazing world inside your hand and wrist.

What are the hands and wrists? What do they do?

Simply put, your hand and wrist are two of the most complex parts of our bodies. They help us interact with the outside world, touch, feel, and control things. When we think of touch, it's the hands that come to mind.

Your hand and wrist work together to do almost everything you do throughout the day. Their support is essential for anything you do, whether it's gripping, touching, or using something.

Where are these located?

The wrist is located at the bottom of your hand, where the forearm ends. It's like a hinge between the hand and the arm. This joint allows us to position our hand in any way we want.

Your hand begins where your wrist ends. It includes your palm, fingers, and thumb.

How is their structure formed?

The structure of the hand and wrist is designed to allow us to bend, twist, and grasp things in any way we want.

Imagine you're playing a crane game in an arcade. The hand is like the claw that grabs the prizes. The wrist is like the mechanical joint that moves the claw up, down, and side to side. That's how the wrist allows us to move our hand in any direction and do work.

Main parts of the hand and wrist

The parts of our hand and wrist are arranged in layers, one on top of the other. This is what gives it its three-dimensional shape and allows it to move and function properly.

The hand and wrist are mainly made up of these parts:

• Bones: Provide a strong skeleton.
• Muscles: Provide movement and strength.
• Nerves: Control sensation and muscles.
• Tendons: Connect muscles to bones.
• Ligaments: Connect bones to each other and stabilize joints.
• Blood vessels: supply blood.
• Lymphatic vessels: Part of the lymphatic system.

Now let's look at each of these in a little more detail.

Bones of the hand and wrist

Bones provide the main structural foundation of the hand and wrist. That is, they act as anchors that give them shape and connect other parts.

Bones in the hand

There are 19 bones in your hand. They are grouped according to where they are located and what they do.

The bones in the wrist

Your wrist is a complex joint made up of eight small bones arranged in two rows. These are also called carpal bones.

Muscles of the hand and wrist

Muscles are soft tissues made up of elastic fibers. The muscles inside the hand (intrinsic muscles) and the muscles outside the hand, that is, the arm (extrinsic muscles), work together to give the hand strength and the ability to perform fine movements.

The meatballs in the hand

You have 34 muscles in one arm. They are divided into several main groups.

The combined movements of these muscles result in two main types of grips:

• Power grip: This is where the strength in your hand comes from. Think about things like lifting a heavy box or opening a tightly closed bottle cap.
• Precision grip: Using the hand and fingers to grasp and move small objects. Examples include picking up a pen from a table or opening a door with a key.

The lump in the wrist

There are also muscles in the wrist that perform several major movements.

• Flexion: Muscles that help bend the wrist downward toward the palm.
• Extension: Muscles that help pull the wrist upward, as if signaling someone to "stop."
• Adduction (bending inward): Muscles that help bend the wrist toward the center of the body.
• Abduction: Muscles that help bend the wrist outward from the center of the body.

Nerves of the hand and wrist

Nerves control your muscles. They also help you feel different sensations and carry that information to your brain.

• Contact
• Temperature
• Pain
• Pressure

There are three main nerves that provide sensation to the hand and wrist.

• Radial nerve
• Median nerve
• Ulnar nerve

A network of small nerves branching off from these three main nerves spreads throughout the hand and wrist.

Tendons and Ligaments

Both are types of connective tissue, but there is a difference between the two.

Tendons

Tendons are like strong, flexible cords that connect your muscles to your bones . There are two types of tendons in the hand and wrist:

• Extensor tendons: Tendons that help extend the fingers, hand, and wrist.
• Flexor tendons: Tendons that help bend the fingers, hand, and wrist.

Ligaments

Tendons are like ropes, while ligaments are like thicker rubber bands . Their main functions are:

• Helping joints move smoothly.
• Protecting joints from excessive bending.
• Keeping joints in the correct position.

There are several types of ligaments in the hand and wrist. For example, the `collateral ligaments` on each side of the fingers stop the fingers from moving too far apart.

Blood Vessels & Lymphatics

Your hand and wrist receive blood from two main arteries. The radial artery runs along the side of your thumb, and the ulnar artery runs along the side of your little finger. Small blood vessels branch off from these arteries and supply blood to your fingers.

The lymphatic system is a network of vessels that collects excess plasma in our bodies and returns it to the blood. Small lymph channels in the arms contribute to this function.

Common hand and wrist conditions

There are many possible causes of hand or wrist pain. Here are some of the most common conditions:

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Arthritis of the hand or wrist - for example, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis.
• Tendinitis - Inflammation of the tendons.
• Trigger finger or trigger thumb - A clicking or "ticking" sound when a finger is bent.
• Dupuytren's contracture - thickening of the tissue under the skin of the palm, causing the fingers to curl inward.

How to keep your hands and wrists healthy?

The best way to keep your hands and wrists healthy is to avoid overexerting them. Any activity or job that involves repeating the same motion over and over can cause a Repetitive Strain Injury .

Be careful of these things when playing sports or other physical activities:

• Wear the correct safety equipment.
• If you feel pain during or after an activity, don't "play through it."
• Give your body time to rest and recover after strenuous activity.
• Warm up well before playing sports or exercising.
• Cool down and stretch well after activity.
• Avoid overextending or bending your arms and wrists.

Pain in your hand or wrist is very common. But never ignore it. If you have new pain, or if your pain gets worse over time, be sure to see your doctor . That way, you can find a solution to a small problem before it becomes a big one.