Anatom3DRight third metacarpal bone
Os metacarpi III dextrum · Pravá třetí záprstní kost
Skeleton
Looks like
The palm bone behind the middle finger, with a small spike at its base.
What it does
The central, stable axis of the hand, fixed firmly to the capitate.
Keeping it well
Rarely broken alone. Its base may bulge (carpal boss), a harmless bony lump on the back of the hand.
Related conditions
- Acromegaly
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- De Quervain's tenosynovitis
- Dupuytren's contracture & trigger finger
- Fractures
- Fragility fracture
- Frailty & falls in older age
- Ganglion cyst
- Hyperparathyroidism
- Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
- Osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease)
- Osteomalacia & rickets
- Osteomyelitis (bone infection)
- Osteoporosis
- Paget's disease of bone
- Pseudogout (calcium pyrophosphate disease)
- Raynaud's phenomenon
- Repetitive strain & overuse injury
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Sarcoma
- Vitamin B1, C and other deficiencies
- Vitamin D deficiency