Carpus and tarsus of land vertebrates

The carpus (wrist) and tarsus (ankle) of land vertebrates primitively had three rows of carpal or tarsal bones. Often some of these have become lost or fused in evolution.

• Three proximals. In the hand Man has all three. In the foot the middle proximal appears in 10% of people as an os trigonum [1].

• Centrale or os centrale, on the medial side. In Man's hand it fuses onto the scaphoid as the tubercle of the scaphoid; occasionally it stays separate. In Man's foot it is the navicular. Some early land vertebrates had more than one (up to three) os centrale per hand or foot (plural "(ossa) centralia").

• Distals, one per finger / toe at the base of each metacarpal or metatarsal. In mammals the 4th and 5th fuse. In the horse the 1st is lost.

Additional recommended knowledge

Daily Sensitivity Test

Daily Visual Balance Check

Essential Laboratory Skills Guide

See Tetrapod#Limbs