PORTRAYING THE HAND

PORTRAYING THE HAND

Bones The hand contains 8 wrist (carpal) bones: minor multangular (1), major multangular (2), navicular (3), lunate (4), triquetrum (5), pisiform (6), hamate (7), and capitate (8). The hand also features 5 metacarpals (9) and 14 phalanges (10). 

Muscles The flexor tendons (A, B, C) from the forearm muscles (see page 30) extend into the hand. The teardrop-shaped muscle masses, the thenar eminence abductors of the thumb (I, J) and the hypothenar eminence abductor (D) and flexor (E) of the little finger, are known as the "palmer hand muscles." The adductor of the thumb (G) lies under the flexor tendons (F). The visible creases of the palm result from the way the skin folds overthe fat and muscles of the hand.

BACK 

Bones From this view of the hand, all the same bones are visible, but the carpal bones appear convex rather than concave. From this angle, the bones have more influence on the shape of the fleshed·out hand. 

Muscles Whereas the palm side of the hand is muscular and fatty, the back of the hand is bony and full of tendons. The extensor tendons of the thumb (A) are visible when contracted, as are the other four extensor tendons (C). The first dorsal interosseous (B) is the largest of the four dorsal interosseous muscles, and it is the only one that shows its form through the skin's surface; when the thumb is flexed, this muscle appears as a bulging teardrop shape.