" CARPALS... THE BONES OF THE WRIST"

The information that follows should be useful in preparing 
for the second hour exam in human anatomy.

One of the challenges anatomy students face with the upper limb 
is learning the names of the carpals.  
There are eight relatively small bones that make up the wrist.  
Dr. J got a mnemonic from a TV show about a medical school in the Caribbean.  

It is: 
(click link for mnemonic)
"Some Lovers Try Positions That They Can't Handle".  
The first letters of the words correspond to the first letters of the carpals, 
starting at the proximal row (lateral to medial) and then the distal row (lateral to medial).   
The bones are:  
(proximal row, lateral to medial)  
Scaphoid, Lunate, Triquetral, Pisiform, 
(distal row, lateral to medial) 
Trapezium, Trapezoid, Capitate, Hamate.  
Looking at the list one realizes that there are three bones beginning with the letter "T" ...
so Dr. J came up with a little extra help.  In the proximal row the THIRD bone is the Triquetral - remember that tri means three - perhaps that will help.  
In the distal row the first two bones begin with "T" and are very similar.  
The good news is " that they are arranged alphabetically from lateral to medial, 
so Trapezium would have to come before Trapezoid.  
Dr. J hopes this helps.  If you find a better way of remembering this set of bones 
be sure to let Dr. J know... you may become famous!

Special thanks to Jesse Boeglin
for his colorful illustration used
in our Carpal Tutorial!

More details of 
 "Crazy Hand Jive!!
 will be covered in lecture or lab.