The Wrist Has Eight Small Bones
The wrist is the joint between hand and forearm. Its complexity is what makes the human hand so capable.
The wrist is the joint connecting the hand to the forearm. It is not one joint but a cluster: eight small carpal bones arranged in two rows, sliding against each other to allow movement in several directions at once. That arrangement gives the hand its range without sacrificing strength. The name records the function — *wrist* comes from the same Germanic root as *writhe* and *wring*, meaning to twist, because the wrist is the joint that turns.
- The hand-forearm joint. *A sore wrist.*
- Carpal bones — the eight. *The carpals.*
- Carpal tunnel — a passage for nerves. *Carpal tunnel.*
- Writhe — the same root. *Writhe.*
- Old English — *wrist*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | wrist | The wrist. |
| Plural | wrists | Wrists. |
| Adjective | carpal | Carpal. |
| Compound | wristwatch | A wristwatch. |
| Old English | wrist | The wrist. |
- He sprained his wrist.Injury.
- Eight carpal bones form the joint.Anatomy.
- The name means the twisting joint.Etymology.
About the wrist
- Eight carpal bones in two rows of four
- They slide against each other rather than forming a single hinge
- The carpal tunnel carries the median nerve into the hand
- Compression there causes carpal tunnel syndrome
- Rotation of the forearm actually happens at the elbow, not the wrist
Old English *wrist*, from a Germanic root meaning to twist, related to *writhe* and *wring*.
How many bones are in the wrist?
Eight carpal bones, arranged in two rows of four that slide against one another.
Does the wrist rotate the hand?
Not really. Turning the palm up or down happens at the elbow, where the two forearm bones cross over each other.