Wrist joint anatomy in 3D
The wrist joint (radiocarpal joint) is where the lower end of the radius meets the scaphoid, lunate and triquetral bones of the near row of wrist bones. The ulna is separated from the wrist bones by an articular disc and does not touch this joint directly. Small joints between the wrist bones add to the movement of the wrist as a whole.
Frequently asked questions
Which bones form the wrist joint?
The wrist joint is formed by the radius, the scaphoid, the lunate and the triquetral.
What type of joint is the wrist joint?
It is an ellipsoid (condyloid) joint: an oval convex surface fits into an oval hollow, allowing movement in two planes but no rotation on its own axis.
What movements happen at the wrist joint?
It bends the hand towards the palm (flexion) and back (extension), tilts it towards the thumb side and the little-finger side, and combines these in circumduction. Turning the palm over happens at the radioulnar joints of the forearm, not at the wrist.
Bones of the wrist joint
Other joints
- Shoulder joint
- Acromioclavicular joint
- Elbow joint
- Radioulnar joints
- Thumb carpometacarpal joint
- Hip joint
- Sacroiliac joint
- Knee joint
- Ankle joint
- Subtalar joint
- Temporomandibular joint
- Atlanto-occipital joint
- Atlanto-axial joint
- Intervertebral joints
- Costovertebral joints
Skeleton
Read more
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Once the 3D model loads you can turn it and select each part.