Human Hand Joint Model with Ligaments, Life-Size

Quick Answer: The Human Hand Joint Model with Ligaments, Life-Size is a hand joint model with ligaments that reproduces the bones of the wrist and hand at natural size, together with the ligaments that hold them, for teaching hand anatomy, joint movement and common hand injuries.

Bones and Ligaments of the Hand

The hand and wrist contain 27 bones: eight carpals arranged in two rows, five metacarpals in the palm and fourteen phalanges in the fingers and thumb. The proximal row of carpals is the scaphoid, lunate, triquetrum and pisiform, and the distal row the trapezium, trapezoid, capitate and hamate. At life size, students can match each carpal to its position on their own wrist.

Ligaments are what make this model more than a bone set. Collateral ligaments on either side of each finger joint prevent sideways bending, and palmar plates under the joints stop the fingers bending backwards. At the wrist, many small intercarpal ligaments bind the carpals, and the transverse carpal ligament bridges the front to form the roof of the carpal tunnel, through which the median nerve and flexor tendons pass. The thumb’s saddle-shaped joint with the trapezium explains how it can move across the palm to meet the fingers.

Whether the forearm bones or muscles are included is not stated, so confirm the extent of the model. The functional elbow joint model shows forearm rotation above the wrist, which completes the picture of how the hand is positioned.

Specifications

Care & Handling

• Handle the hand joint model by the wrist end or its base; the finger joints and their ligaments are the parts most easily damaged.
• Do not bend the fingers backwards or sideways to show a ligament injury; describe it with the model in its natural position.
• Dust with a soft brush between the fingers and keep the model covered, since ligament materials attract fluff.

Applications

• Anatomy lessons on the carpal bones and the joints of the fingers and thumb
• Hand therapy and physiotherapy teaching on sprains and splinting
• Explaining carpal tunnel syndrome and scaphoid fractures
• Occupational therapy training on grip, pinch and hand function

Why Choose LabEquip

Hand-therapy courses, physiotherapy schools and anatomy departments choose a life-size hand model with ligaments because so much hand-injury teaching concerns soft tissue. LabEquip lists it within biology lab products; reach LabEquip through the contact page for details of the forearm portion.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many bones are in the hand and wrist?

Twenty-seven: eight carpal bones, five metacarpals and fourteen phalanges. The thumb has two phalanges and each finger has three.

Why is a scaphoid fracture important?

The scaphoid is the most commonly broken carpal bone, usually after a fall on an outstretched hand. Its blood supply enters mainly from one end, so a fracture can leave part of the bone without blood and slow to heal.

What is the carpal tunnel?

It is a passage at the front of the wrist, with carpal bones as its floor and walls and the transverse carpal ligament as its roof. The median nerve and nine flexor tendons pass through it, so swelling there can compress the nerve.

What do the collateral ligaments of the fingers do?

They run along each side of the finger joints and stop sideways movement. A sideways force, as when a ball strikes a finger, can sprain or tear them.

What is skier’s thumb?

It is an injury to the ulnar collateral ligament at the base of the thumb, often from a fall onto a ski pole. It weakens pinch grip because the thumb can no longer resist sideways pressure.

Why is the thumb joint called a saddle joint?

The surfaces of the trapezium and the first metacarpal are each curved like a saddle, one fitting the other. This shape allows movement in two planes and lets the thumb swing across to touch the fingertips.

Last Updated: September 2026