Anatom3DLeft fifth metacarpal bone
Os metacarpi V sinistrum · Levá pátá záprstní kost
Skeleton
Looks like
The palm bone behind the little finger, forming the outer edge of the hand.
What it does
The most mobile metacarpal, cupping the palm for grip.
Keeping it well
Its neck breaks in punches (boxer's fracture); most heal well in a splint. A cut over the knuckle from teeth needs antibiotics.
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