Joints and ligaments · Upper limb
Deep transverse metacarpal ligament !
The deep transverse metacarpal ligament links the heads of the finger palm bones across the hand, holding them together in a firm arch.
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What it is
A band linking the palm-side plates of the knuckles of the 2nd to 5th fingers.
What it does
Keeps the metacarpal heads together in a tight arch.
Key facts
- Attaches
- Joins the palmar plates of MCP joints 2–5
- Function
- Holds the metacarpal heads together
- Tight in
- Spreading of the fingers
Relations
- Course
- Runs across the palm at the level of the metacarpal heads, joining the volar plates of the index, middle, ring and little finger MCP joints
- In front
- Lumbricals, digital nerves and arteries, and the flexor tendons in their sheaths; vertical septa from the palmar aponeurosis anchor onto it
- Behind
- Tendons of the dorsal interossei and palmar interossei, on their way to the extensor mechanism
How to find it
Not palpable. It lies deep in the palm at about the level of the distal palmar crease; in dissection it appears after the flexor tendons are retracted, with the lumbricals in front of it and the interossei behind.
On imaging
Not seen on radiographs. Ultrasound or MRI show it as a thin band joining the palmar plates of the 2nd to 5th MCP joints, with the lumbrical tendons palmar to it and the interossei dorsal. Radiographs show its effect: isolated 3rd and 4th metacarpal shaft fractures shorten and rotate less than those of the border metacarpals.
Clinical notes
- Ray amputation of a central finger: suturing the ligaments of the neighbouring fingers together closes the gap and helps prevent scissoring
- Its septal attachments divide the distal palm into separate canals, which helps contain web space and palmar infections
Memory aid
Lumbricals Lie in front; Interossei go In behind.
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Which muscles pass palmar and which dorsal to the deep transverse metacarpal ligament?
The lumbricals pass palmar to it; the interossei pass dorsal to it.
What does the deep transverse metacarpal ligament join?
The palmar (volar) plates of MCP joints 2 to 5; the thumb has no such link, so it moves freely.
Why do isolated 3rd and 4th metacarpal fractures shorten and rotate little?
The deep transverse metacarpal ligament ties their heads to neighbours on both sides; border metacarpals have support on one side only.
Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.
Its names
- Official Latin (TA2)
- ligamentum metacarpeum transversum profundum TA2 1838
- Official Spanish (DeCS)
- Ligamento metacarpiano transverso profundo
- English (TA2)
- Deep transverse metacarpal ligament
Related
Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Metacarpophalangeal Joints.
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.
