metacarpus skeleton

The metacarpus is the intermediate part of the manus skeleton that is located between the phalanges (bones of the fingers) distally and the carpus which forms the connection to the forearm. The metacarpus consists of metacarpal bones. The metacarpals form a transverse arch to which the rigid row of distal carpal bones are fixed. The peripheral metacarpals (those of the thumb and little finger) form the sides of the cup of the palmar gutter and as they are brought together they deepen this concavity. The index metacarpal is the most firmly fixed, while the thumb metacarpal articulates with the trapezium and acts independently from the others. The middle metacarpals are tightly united to the carpus by intrinsic interlocking bone elements at their bases. The ring metacarpal forms a transitional element of the semi-independent last metacarpal. [WP,unvetted].