Carpal Bones Anatomy

The carpal bones are a set of eight small bones that form the wrist (or carpus), connecting the hand to the forearm. They are arranged in two rows, a proximal row and a distal row.
Proximal row carpal bones include the scaphoid, the lunate, the triquetrum, and the pisiform.
Distal row carpal bones include the trapezium, the trapezoid, the capitate, the hamate.
The carpal bones are part of the radiocarpal joint, the intercarpal joints, the midcarpal joint and the CMC joints
The dorsal ligaments are wider and thinner than the volar ligaments.
The major dorsal carpal ligaments are the dorsal intercarpal ligament and the dorsal radiotriquetral ligament.
The major volar carpal ligaments are the radioscaphocapitate ligament, the radioscapholunate ligament, the radiolunotriquetral ligament, the scaphotrapezial ligament, the ulnolunate ligament, and the ulnotriquetral ligament.
The major interosseous carpal ligaments are the scapholunate ligament and the lunotriquetral ligament.

Diagrams & Photos

1. Scaphoid 2. Lunate 3. Triquetrum 4. Pisiform 5. Hamate 6. Capitate 7. Trapezoid 8. Trapezium

Key Points

The carpal bones and the transverse carpal ligament make up the carpal bone structure.
No tendons insert onto the carpal bones.
The space of Poirier is a weak area in the volar wrist capsule.
As a child grows the carpal bones ossify at different times. The last carpal bone to ossify is the pisiform at approximately 12 years of age.