Category : Finger

Anatomy Finger Hand Joints

Anatomy 101: Finger Joints

Joints are cartilage surfaces that connect bones to each other. This cartilage allows our bones to glide smoothly against one another, allowing us painless movement. There are four joints in each finger, totaling 20 joints in each hand!

The small, ringer, middle and index fingers all have the same four joints:

  1. Distal Interphalangeal Joint (DIP): The DIP joint is located at the tip of the finger, just before the finger nail starts. Arthritis can develop at this joint, and it is also commonly fractured.
  2. Proximal Interphalangeal Joint (PIP): The PIP joint is the joint just below the DIP joint. It is located below the top two bones of the finger and allows the finger to bend and extend. This joint can become stiff easily after injury.
  3. Metacarpophalangeal Joint (MCP): The MP joint is where the hand bone meets the finger bone, referred to as the “knuckle.” These joints are very important, allowing us to bend/flex and spread our fingers.
  4. Carpometacarpal Joint (CMC Joint): The CMC joint is located at the bottom of the hand bone. This joint varies in each finger. For example, in the index finger, it has little motion. In the small finger, it has a lot of motion. Injuries and problems with this joint are uncommon.

The thumb joints are a little different than the other finger joints. To learn more about the thumb joints and more about the finger joints, visit our online Anatomy section.

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Finger Hand Hand Safety

5 Steps to Removing a Stuck Ring

Getting a ring stuck on your finger is not uncommon. It can happen if you force a ring onto your finger that is too small, but it can also happen over time. Sometimes, your joints become arthritic, causing the joints or tissue to swell, which can cause the ring to get stuck.

Here’s an easy way to remove a stuck ring in 5 steps:

  1. Squirt some Windex (or some soap or oil) on the finger and ring to lubricate it.
  2. Elevate the hand overhead for 5-10 minutes with ice around the ring and finger.
  3. Slide a long string of dental floss (or other thread) under the stuck ring with the bulk of it toward the fingertip (Figure 1).
  4. Beginning at the top of the ring, tightly wrap the floss around and around your finger all the way up and over the knuckle (Figure 2).
  5. Take the opposite end of the string and begin to unwrap the floss. The ring will slide over the knuckle as you go (Figure 3).
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Finger Hand Thumb Trigger Finger

Video: Symptoms and Treatment for Trigger Finger


  • Pain at the base of the thumb or finger
  • Sensitivity to pressure
  • Lumps
  • Popping
  • Limited finger movement



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Finger Hand Texting Thumb Thumb Pain

Random Fact: Texting Thumb


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Bacteria Finger Hand Hand Infection

11 Types of Hand Infections

Hand infections can cause serious problems and symptoms, both before and after the infection is resolved. They can result in stiff hands, weak hands, and loss of tissues such as skin, nerve and bone.  It is important to visit a hand surgeon immediately and get early treatment if you have signs of one of these hand infections:

1. Atypical Mycobacterial Infection: This infection can result from puncture wounds from fish spines or contamination of a wound or cut from stagnant water (in nature or from aquariums). It will come on gradually, and you may feel stiffness and swelling.

2. Bite Wound Infection: This can be caused by a human or animal bite due to bacteria in the mouth. Seek treatment immediately after a bite wound.

3. Cellulitis: This is a skin infection that can cause skin redness, warmth, and pain. People with cellulitis may have a fever or feel sick. Seek treatment immediately, as this infection can cause serious problems.

4. Deep Space Infection: One of the compartments or “deep spaces” of the hand can become infected even from a small puncture. A pocket of puss may form at the base of the thumb, on the palm, or between the fingers.

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Finger Hand Systemic Disease

8 Examples of Systemic Diseases

Rheumatoid arthritis , Gout arthritis ( Film x-ray both hands of child with multiple joint arthritis ) ( Medical , Science and Health care concept )

A systemic disease is a disease that affects other parts of the body, or even the whole body. The hands are complex. They are composed of many types of tissue including blood vessels, nerves, skin and skin-related tissues, bones, and muscles/tendons/ligaments. Because of this complexity, the hands may suffer from side effects of systemic diseases. Here are some examples that may affect the hand:

1. Arthritic Swelling: Swelling of the middle joint of a finger is called a Bouchard’s node, and swelling at the small finger joints are called Heberden’s nodes.

2. Dactylitis: Dactylitis can sometimes be associated with psoriatic arthritis.  It can cause swelling and stiffness in the fingers. There also may be pain.  This swelling may be improved with medicines for the problem causing it.

3. Mucous Cyst: With a mucous cyst, if the skin becomes thin, the cyst may break resulting in drainage of a clear sticky fluid.  This may allow bacteria to reach the nearby joint, causing a joint or bone infection.

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Dupuytren's Contracture Finger Hand Lumps and Bumps

Ask a Doctor – Dupuytren’s Contracture



Dr. Steven H. Goldberg answers your questions about Dupuytren’s contracture.

I noticed a new lump on the palm of my hand, and I noticed my tendon is visible and tight where I can’t fully straighten my finger. What could this be?

Dupuytren’s contracture, or fibromatosis, is a condition that can cause lumps on the palm of the hand; it also causes cords on the palm or fingers. The cord is not the tendon but rather a thickening of the fascia, a normal structure below the skin. The cord contains myofibroblasts which have a muscle-like quality that pull on the skin causing puckering, dimpling, and bending of the finger. The lumps and cords can also occur on the soles of the feet. Some people are more likely to have this disease due to genetics.

How do you know this lump is Dupuytren’s and not cancer?

Most lumps in the palm are not cancerous. Skin cancers are more common in sun-exposed areas, so a lump on the back of the hand is more likely to be cancerous compared to one on the palm.  Dupuytren’s lumps in the palm of the hand most commonly form in the ring and small finger. Skin puckering or dimpling can occur, and you typically can’t fully straighten your fingers. This loss of motion is less common with other masses or tumors. Dupuytren’s lumps are typically not painful and usually do not grow much.  A more worrisome bump or lump is often painful, can have rapid growth, and can either be painful at night or when resting. If a patient is very concerned about the lump, it can be surgically biopsied to confirm it is Dupuytren’s contracture.

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Cold Hand Disease Finger Hand

How to know if you have Cold Hand Disease

Close up of young beautiful woman hands holding hot cup of coffee or tea. Morning coffee cold season office coffee break or coffee lover concept.

Do your hands always seem cold? You may have cold hand disease, which is a condition that can occur due to a decrease in blood flow in the hand. Here are some signs that you may have this disease:

  1. Your hands are cold even in mild weather.
  2. Your fingers hurt in cold temperatures.
  3. You have to wear gloves when handling frozen foods.
  4. Your hands turn a shade of blue, white or red sometimes.
  5. Minor cuts on your fingers take longer to heal than normal.

In a normal hand, blood travels from the heart, down the arm, all the way to the fingertips, which keeps the hands warm. In an individual with cold hand disease, blood flow is decreased due to vasoconstriction (when the blood vessels in the hand become smaller, allowing less blood to flow) or vaso-occlusion (when the normal process of temporarily applying more muscle pressure to your blood vessels becomes abnormally strong or prolonged).

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