Hand skeleton with arthritis
Dorsal view of a human right hand with inflammatory joint changes. The skeleton of the human hand contains carpal bones, metacarpal bones, and finger bones, which are subdivided into proximal, medial, and distal phalanges. The joint regions show inflammatory processes of bone and cartilage, which is called arthritis. Especially rheumatoid arthritis, also called polyarthritis, preferredly affects the small joints of hands and fingers.