Metacarpophalangeal joint
Bodily joint at the base of each finger
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Related on Lably
Through Joint and Anatomical terms of motion
Structure
Ligaments
Each joint has:
- palmar ligaments of metacarpophalangeal articulations
- collateral ligaments of metacarpophalangeal articulations
Dorsal surfaces
The dorsal surfaces of these joints are covered by the expansions of the Extensor tendons, together with some loose areolar tissue which connects the deep surfaces of the tendons to the bones.
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Function
The movements which occur in these joints are flexion, extension, adduction, abduction, and circumduction; the movements of abduction and adduction are very limited, and cannot be performed while the fingers form a fist.
The muscles of flexion and extension are as follows:
Clinical significance
Arthritis of the MCP is a distinguishing feature of rheumatoid arthritis, as opposed to the distal interphalangeal joint in osteoarthritis.
Other animals
In many quadrupeds, particularly horses and other larger animals, the metacarpophalangeal joint is referred to as the "fetlock". This term is translated literally as "foot-lock". In fact, although the term fetlock does not specifically apply to other species' metacarpophalangeal joints (for instance, humans), the "second" or "mid-finger" knuckle of the human hand does anatomically correspond to the fetlock on larger quadrupeds. For lack of a better term, the shortened name may seem more practical.