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lunate bone

 
Dictionary: lunate bone

n.
The second of three bones forming the proximal row of bones in the wrist. Also called semilunar bone.


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A wrist bone that articulates with the triquetral and scaphoid, the hamate and capitate in front, and the radius behind. See also carpus.

Medical Dictionary: lunate bone
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n.

The second of three bones forming the proximal row of bones in the wrist between the scaphoid and triquetrum bones and articulating with the radius, scaphoid, triquetrum, hamate, and capitate bones. Also called semilunar bone.

WordNet: lunate bone
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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: one of the eight small wrist bones
  Synonyms: semilunar bone, os lunatum


Wikipedia: Lunate bone
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Bone: Lunate bone
Carpus.png
BONES OF HAND
Proximal: A=Scaphoid, B=Lunate, C=Triquetral, D=Pisiform
Distal: E=Trapezium, F=Trapezoid, G=Capitate, H=Hamate
Gray222.png
The left lunate bone
Latin os lunatum
Gray's subject #54 224
Articulations radius proximally
capitate and hamate distally
scaphoid laterally
triangular medially  
MeSH Lunate+Bone

The lunate bone (semilunar bone) is a carpal bone (wrist bone) in the human hand that may be distinguished by its deep concavity and crescentic outline. It is situated in the center of the proximal row of the carpus (wrist) region between the fore arm and hand (manus). In standard medical posture, the lunate carpal bone is situated between the lateral Scaphoid bone and medial Triquetral bone. The lunate carpal bone straddles distally the bordering ulna and radius bones and proximally to distal carpus (wrist) Trapezium bone and Trapezoid bone.

The etymology of the Lunate bone derives from the Latin luna which means "moon", the lunate bone looks semi-similar to a crescent moon. In amphibians and reptiles, the bone is instead referred to as the intermedium, because of its position between the other two proximal carpals.

Contents

Surfaces

The superior surface, convex and smooth, articulates with the radius.

The inferior surface is deeply concave, and of greater extent from before backward than transversely: it articulates with the head of the capitate, and, by a long, narrow facet (separated by a ridge from the general surface), with the hamate.

The dorsal and palmar surfaces are rough, for the attachment of ligaments, the former being the broader, and of a somewhat rounded form.

The lateral surface presents a narrow, flattened, semilunar facet for articulation with the scaphoid.

The medial surface is marked by a smooth, quadrilateral facet, for articulation with the triangular bone.

Clinical relevance

The lunate bone is the most frequently dislocated carpal bone.

See also

Additional images

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated.


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Sports Science and Medicine. The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science & Medicine. Copyright © Michael Kent 1998, 2006, 2007. All rights reserved.  Read more
Medical Dictionary. The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company Read more
WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Lunate bone" Read more