Trapezium Bone

Author: Dr Peter de Souza
Last modified: 13 December 2020

Trapezium Bone

The structure indicated is the trapezium bone of the hand.

There are three groups of bones in the hand:

  1. Carpal bones (8 in total)
  2. Metacarpal bones
  3. Phalanges

The carpal bones are separated into two rows:

  1. Proximal row
  2. Distal row

The trapezium bone is located in the distal row of carpal bones. There are four bones in the distal row:

  1. Trapezium
  2. Trapezoid
  3. Capitate
  4. Hamate

The trapezium bone articulates with the 1st metacarpal of the thumb. It’s easy to confuse the location of the trapezium with the adjacent and similarly named trapezoid bone. A way to remember where the trapezium is located is that trapezi-UM rhymes with thUMB, and therefore articulates with the 1st metacarpal of the thumb.

Learn more about the bones of the hand in this anatomy tutorial.