Capitate bone

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The eight bones of the wrist, known as the carpal bones, and related bony landmarks.

The capitate bone is the largest of the eight carpal bones found in the hand.

It is a head-shaped bone located in the distal row of the carpal bones proximal to the second, third, and fourth metacarpal bones. The capitate bone is classified as a short bone. A short bone is a bone that is roughly shaped as a cube with almost equal length, width, and thickness.

The capitate bone has a head, and a rounded extremity referred to as the base. The head of the capitate bone projects into the concavity formed by the lunate and scaphoid bones.

The capitate bone also has multiple articular surfaces. The proximal surface articulates with the scaphoid and lunate. The distal surface articulates with the base of the third metacarpal. It has smaller articulations with the base of the second and fourth metacarpal bones. The medial surface is the largest articular surface for the hamate bone, while the lateral surface articulates with the trapezoid.