Hand fractures

[Dianne]

Any bone in the hand can be broken. Hand fractures include

Fractures of the wrist bones (carpals)
Fractures of the bones of the palm (metacarpals)
Fractures of the bones of the thumb and fingers (phalanges)

(See also Overview of Fractures.)
Common carpal bone fractures include scaphoid fractures and fractures of the hook of hamate (see Common Hand Injuries), which are usually considered wrist fractures.
For hands to function normally, many muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones must work together. Seemingly minor fractures can seriously injure soft tissues. If these injuries are not treated appropriately, joints can become stiff, weak, or permanently misshapen, greatly disabling people.