Understanding Phalanges
Phalanges, which are found in the hands and feet, are small long bones that are numbered one to five. Each individual bone is referred to as a phalanx. The name of each phalanx corresponds to its position as either proximal, middle, or distal. Proximal refers to a position that is closer to the torso, while distal describes a position that is farther away. The phalanges that are located next to the palm are known as ‘proximal,’ whereas the ones found in the fingertips are called ‘distal.’ The ‘middle’ position simply refers to the bones that are situated between the proximal and distal ones. It is important to note that each finger consists of three phalanges, except for the thumb, which lacks a middle phalanx.
Proximal and Middle Phalanges
The proximal phalanx, which is the largest bone in the finger, is responsible for forming joints with both a metacarpal bone and a middle phalanx. On the other hand, the middle phalanx, being the second bone, forms joints at each end with a proximal and distal phalanx. Both the proximal and middle phalanges exhibit a concave shape on the underside and a convex shape on the upper surface. Interestingly, the narrowest part of each phalanx can be found in its middle section.