07/03/2023
Thanks Stef… excited to share.
Believe it or not there’s more to the hand and wrist then carpal tunnel; outside of the carpals, metacarpals and phalanges is an intricate network of connective tissue.
The muscles of the hand can be categorized into two groups: intrinsic muscles and extrinsic muscles.
1. Intrinsic muscles: These muscles are located within the hand and are responsible for fine motor movements and control.
2. Extrinsic muscles: These muscles originate outside the hand and extend into the hand, providing gross motor movements and strength.
These muscles work together to provide the hand with a wide range of movements and functions, such as grasping, gripping, and manipulating objects.
The main nerves of the hand include the median nerve, ulnar nerve, and radial nerve and are responsible for motor control, sensory perception, and coordination.
The network of arteries provide oxygenated blood to the hand, ensuring proper circulation and nourishment to the tissues and structures of the hand.
The network veins collect deoxygenated blood from the hand and forearm, returning it to the heart for oxygenation.
The lymphatic vessels in the hand collect lymph from the tissues and transport it towards the lymph nodes. The lymph nodes in the hand are located in the palm and fingers. These nodes filter the lymph, removing any foreign particles, pathogens, or cellular debris.
The ligaments of the hand are strong bands of connective tissue that help stabilize and support the joints of the hand.
Lastly, there are the bones and joints of the hand categorized by carpals, metacarpals and phalanges. All these harder tissues are guided and influenced by the above network of connective and soft tissues.
It’s this network that allows for the versatile movements of the hand, operating with the forearm to allow for a wide variety of use. Gross motor or fine motor, digging into the hand only leads to more and more structures at play. Unfortunately the caption length isn’t large enough to allow listing of all these fine structures. There are simply that many!