Quick Facts
Location: Hand.
Bone Type: Long bone.
Key Features: Head, body, base, and proximal and distal articular facets.
Articulates With: Fifth metacarpal bone and middle phalanx of little finger.
Arterial Supply: Proper palmar digital arteries.
Key Features & Anatomical Relations
The proximal phalanx of little finger is one of the fourteen phalangeal bones of the hand. It’s classified as a long bone and includes the following bony features:
- parts: head, body, and base;
- landmarks: proximal and distal articular facets.
More information regarding these bony features can be found in the Parts and Landmarks tabs for this bone.
The proximal phalanx is located:
- proximal to the middle phalanx of the little finger;
- distal to the fifth metacarpal bone;
It articulates with the:
- middle phalanx at the proximal interphalangeal joint;
- metacarpal bone at the metacarpophalangeal joint.
Ossification
Ossification of the proximal phalanx of little finger occurs at two ossification centers, these are found in the:
- body, which appears in utero during the third month;
- base, which appears during the second year.
These ossification centers fuse with each other during the fifteenth to eighteenth years (Standring, 2016).
Surface Anatomy
The head, body, and base of the proximal phalanx can be easily palpated.
List of Clinical Correlates
- Fracture
- Brachyphalangia
- Symphalangia
- Thiemann’s disease
References
Standring, S. (2016) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Gray's Anatomy Series 41st edn.: Elsevier Limited.
Learn more about this topic from other Elsevier products
Proximal Phalanx
The proximal phalanx is a tubular bone that consists of a base, a diaphysis, and a head.
