Skeleton of hand

The skeleton of the manus forms the osseous part of the autopodium of the thoracic limbs.

The autopodium consists, from proximal to distal, of three segments:

• Basipodium: carpal bones (ossa carpi)
• Metapodium: metacarpal bones (ossa metacarpalis)
• Acropodium: phalanges (ossa digitorum manus).

In domestic animals, only the carnivores show the original pattern of five rays, which is typical for humans: in the pig the rays are reduceed to four (2-5), in the ox two rays (3-4) and in the horse only the third ray remains.