Tag: finger

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Mini Anatomy Lesson: IP Joint

 

Outlander Def:  Wait!  What???  Roger Mac has a joint? But, but….he is a Presbyterian minister (almost)!

No worries. NOT that kind of joint! 😉

Anatomy Def:  IP joints are between bones of each digit.

Let’s take a wee keek at hand anatomy to ken Roger’s bones and joints. The next figure shows bones of the (left) hand.

Collectively, the digits have 14 bones. Every finger  contains three tiny bones, each known as a phalange. The proximal (near) phalange is green, the middle plalange is blue, and the distal (far) phalange is pink.

But, alas, Mr. Thumb only enjoys two phalanges: proximal (green) and distal (pink). 

To identify the digits, anatomists number them from one to five: 

    • Thumb =  digit #1
    • Index =  digit #2 
    • Middle = digit #3
    • Ring = digit #4
    • Little = digit #5

But, wait for it….drum roll…. 🥁 Anatomists number fingers, from one to four:

    • Index = finger #1
    • Middle = finger #2
    • Ring = finger #3
    • Little = finger #4

Horror of all horrors…. This means that finger #1 is also digit#2!  😱

You  possible can see how this numbering system could get physicians into trouble. Adding fuel to the fire, anatomists in some countries regard the thumb as a finger and thus describe five digits and five fingers. Bottom line, US hand surgeons often prefer using terms (not numbers): thumb, and index, middle, ring, and little fingers to avoid confusion and mistakes! 🙄

Moving on!

In anatomy, a joint is the site where two or more bones meet and allow for movement –  the greater the number of joints, the greater possible movements. Thus, the many joints between phalanges of our five digits permit greater flexibility allowing digits to flex (bend) or extend (straighten).  Thumb also can oppose (touch) each finger, individually, and little finger also can oppose the thumb. These movements are possible because forearm and hand contain numerous muscles that move the bones.

Joints between phalanges are named interphalangeal meaning “between phalanges.” Because each finger has two interphalangeal joints, these are further defined (see next figure of right hand –  ignore metacarpophalangeal joints):

    • PIP (proximal interphalangeal) joint occurs between each proximal and middle phalange.
    • DIP (distal interphalangeal) joint occurs between each middle and distal phalange.

Puir wee thumb only has one joint between proximal and distal phalanges, so it has just a single IP (interphalangeal) joint. But, no tears for Mr. Thumb – he is verra special!

Whew! 😅 Took a bit to explain that!

Now, back to Roger’s anatomy! 😜 (I thought you would be up for that!)

Ergo, manly Roger is flexing the IP joint of his right thumb! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻  And, since in most people, the left hand is our shield hand while the right is our sword hand, it is just possible that Mr. Minister is contemplating a stramash! 

Try This: Flex (bend) one of your thumbs. Note it has one joint between its phalanges, the IP joint. Now flex any finger. Note it has two joints, the PIP joint nearest the palm and the DIP joint nearest the fingernail. Well done, student!

The hand and its fingers are elegantly engineered and staggeringly complex. If you wish to read more about them, I have written two long anatomy lessons of the hand.

Learn about  IP, DIP, and PIP joints in Anatomy Lesson #22, “Jamie’s Hand, Symbol of Sacrifice  and Anatomy Lesson #23, “Harming Hands, Helping Hands, Healing Hands.” 

Read about finger and thumb joints in Diana’s first book, Outlander. The following excerpt is from Jamie and Claire’s lovely outing in the countryside, shortly after the wedding : 

“Above one dark speckled pool, Jamie showed me how to tickle trout.

…  “All it is,” he said, “is to pick a good spot, and then wait.” He dipped one hand below the surface, smoothly, no splashing, and let it lie on the sandy bottom, just outside the line of shadow made by the rocky overhang. The long fingers curled delicately toward the palm, distorted by the water so that they seemed to wave gently to and fro in unison, like the leaves of a water plant, though I saw from the still muscling of his forearm that he was not moving his hand at all.

…  “There he is.” Jamie’s voice was low, hardly more than a breath; he had told me that trout have sensitive ears.

…  One finger bent slowly, so slowly it was hard to see the movement. I could tell it moved only by its changing position, relative to the other fingers. Another finger, slowly bent. And after a long, long moment, another. I scarcely dared breathe, and my heart beat against the cold rock with a rhythm faster than the breathing of the fish. Sluggishly the fingers bent back, lying open, one by one, and the slow hypnotic wave began again, one finger, one finger, one finger more, the movement a smooth ripple like the edge of a fish’s fin.”

See Roger’s IP joint in Starz season six outlander promo photo!

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo Credits: Starz, www. geekymedics.com, www.quizlet.com

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FF: Camptodactyly or Clinodactyly?

Anatomy Def: Camptodactyly is a condition wherein one or more fingers are permanently bent; the little finger is always affected.

Outlander Def: Steeped in post-coital bliss (Voyager), Claire reflects on her crooked pinky finger, informing Jamie, it is a genetic gift from her mum that she passed onto Bree (see below).

Learn about the pinky finger (5th digit) in Anatomy Lesson #23, Harming Hands – Helping Hands – Healing Hands. Warning! This is a very long lesson because, well, because the hands are anatomically very complicated!

I wager book readers forgot about Claire’s crooked pinky finger – I did! 😜 A follower on Twitter reminded me just days ago! So, here goes:

Humans typically have five digits on each hand.  But, naming these appendages presents a dilemma: 🤔

    • US anatomists name a thumb and four fingers (index is #1 – pinky is #4).
    • Some European anatomists consider the thumb to be a finger (thumb is #1 – pinky is #5).

Ergo, how many fingers does a hand usually have? Clearly, the answer depends on who does the counting!

Stating the obvious, it is safest, especially in a medical setting, not use the term, “finger.” Instead, name the appendages “digits” and sequentially number them as digit #1 (thumb) through digit #5 (pinky).

Hand surgeons who helped teach my gross anatomy course didn’t use any numbers when preparing a patient for surgery to avoid mixups and mistaken surgeries! 😱 Rather, they used thumb, index, middle, ring, and little.

Now, for some quick anatomy:  The little finger (plus index, middle, and ring fingers) has three bones (phalanges). Each adjacent pair of phalanges meet at an interphalangeal (IP) joint. The IP joint nearest the wrist is the proximal interphalangeal joint (PIP); the one furtherest from the wrist is the distal interphalangeal joint (DIP).

The thumb is different because it has only two phalanges and one IP joint. Hence, US anatomists don’t consider the thumb to be a finger because of these anatomic differences.

Try This: Find the PIP and DIP joints on your index, middle, ring and little fingers. Find the IP joint on your thumb. Got it? Yay! 👍🏻

As mentioned above, camptodactyly always involves the 5th digit (pinky finger) which is permanently flexed at the  PIP joint (see image, below)!

Claire’s mother had the crooked little finger, Claire has it, and her daughter has it, too. This is not surprising as the gene for camptodactyly may be passed to the next generation by either parent.  If a person carries the gene, it may be expressed in one hand, both hands or neither.

And, if the permanent flexion is 30º or less, the hand usually functions normally.

Just to throw a monkey wrench into the issue….. Claire may have had a different condition known as clinodactyly (Greek: to bend + finger), another inheritable trait involving a crooked 5th digit.

However, clinodactyly is characterized by the pinky finger bending toward the adjacent ring finger. Yet another difference between the two conditions is that clinodactyly may occur at the DIP joint or the PIP joint, or both!

Because Claire became a skilled surgeon, we can safely assume that no matter which condition she had, the crooked right little finger did not create a hinderance to her handiwork!

Clinodactyly of the hand.
Clinodactyly is a congenital trait that is present at birth. It can occur on its own or as part of a genetic syndrome.

See: Claire’s right little finger in Outlander episode 306, A. Malcolm. The episode does not include Claire’s musing about her crooked pinky finger for good reason: It would be difficult to display such a condition throughout all seasons of Outlander!

Read: But Claire does acknowledge her finger to Jamie in Voyager book.

“Her nails are like yours; square, not oval like mine. But she has the crooked little finger on her right hand that I have,” I said, lifting it. “My mother had it, too; Uncle Lambert told me.” My own mother had died when I was five. I had no clear memory of her, but thought of her whenever I saw my own hand unexpectedly, caught in a moment of grace like this one. I laid the hand with the crooked finger on his, then lifted it to his face. 

Which condition did Claire have – camptodactyly or clinodactyly? Only Herself knows for sure! 😉

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo and Video Credits: Sony/Starz; www.congenitalhand.wustl.edu; www.healthline.com

 

 

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Fun Fact: Extensor Indicis

Anatomy def: Extensor indicis is a muscle of the extensor (back) forearm – its tendon extends (straightens) the index finger (pointer finger or forefinger).

Outlander def: Jamie’s pointer finger twitches madly as Claire and Jenny come face-to-face in their terse meet-and-greet. Tappity tap – a 20-year gap. Scary!

Learn about extensor indicis in Anatomy Lesson #23, Harming Hands – Helping Hands – Healing Hands.

Turns out, the index finger receives tendons from extensor indicis and extensor digitorum (covered in a earlier FF).  Both muscles lie in the back of forearm but the tendons cross the wrist and insert into bones of the index finger. The dual tendons straighten (extend) and lift the index finger, offering it greater strength in extension and more independent movement from the remaining three fingers.

Fun Fact: In US anatomy, the thumb is not counted as a finger, so index finger is the first. Across the pond, some European anatomists define the thumb as  the first finger, so index is counted as the second finger. Ergo, many surgeons prefer using: thumb, index, middle, ring and little fingers (or something similar) to omit possible mix-ups of finger numbers during surgery. Scary x2!

Rewatch Starz episode 308, First Wife, to see Jamie’s pointer finger flutter as he ponders the strain between first wife and big sista. Not good! 

Read about Jamie’s twitchy fingers in Voyager book. Actually, his tapping fingers appear in most of Diana’s books:  

I caught a quick glance passing between Ian and Jenny; and a longer stare, unreadable, exchanged between Jenny and Jamie. A stranger here in more ways than one, I kept my own eyes cast down, observing under the shelter of my lashes. Jamie sat to my left; I could feel the tiny movement between us as the two stiff fingers of his right hand drummed their small tattoo against his thigh.

See Big Red flutter his index finger in Starz episode 308, First Wife. Kebbie-lebbie at Lallybroch!

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo credits: Sony/Starz