Distal phalanx, middle finger !
The distal phalanx of the middle finger is the bone of the fingertip; the deep flexor and the end of the extensor tendon attach to its base.
Official name: Distal phalanx of the middle finger
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What it is
The distal bone of the middle finger. It carries the nail and the fingertip pad.
What it does
One of the finger bones; the joints between them let the finger curl.
Key facts
- Joints with
- Middle phalanx (DIP)
- Landmarks
- Base (FDP/FPL insertion, terminal extensor), tuberosity under the nail
Relations
- Above
- Head of the middle phalanx at the DIP joint
- In front
- FDP tendon to the base; the fingertip pulp divided into small fat compartments by fibrous septa
- Behind
- Terminal extensor tendon; nail bed and nail plate
How to find it
Under the tip and nail of the middle finger, which projects furthest and so takes many crush injuries; the nail fold lies just over its base and growth plate in children.
Examination
- Profundus test: the middle phalanx is held and the person bends the fingertip; loss of DIP flexion means the FDP tendon is cut or pulled off
On imaging
PA and lateral views of the fingertip. In a child, a widened physis at the base on the lateral view, with a bleeding nail fold, suggests a Seymour fracture.
Clinical notes
- Infection of the pulp (felon) builds pressure in its closed compartments and can spread to the bone
- In children, a physeal fracture at its base with a nail bed tear (Seymour fracture) is an open fracture
Development
Its primary centre starts at the tip, early in fetal life; the secondary centre at its base gives a growth plate that stays open until adolescence, the plate involved in a Seymour fracture.
Related conditions
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Which tendons insert on the distal phalanx of the middle finger?
Flexor digitorum profundus on the palmar base and the terminal extensor on the dorsal base.
What is a felon of the fingertip, and why is it dangerous?
An infection of the pulp; pressure builds in its closed fat compartments and can spread to the distal phalanx.
What is a Seymour fracture of the distal phalanx?
In children, a physeal fracture at its base with a nail bed tear: an open fracture.
Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.
Its names
- Official Latin (TA2)
- phalanx distalis manus TA2 1279
- Official Spanish (DeCS)
- Falange distal del dedo medio
- English (TA2)
- Distal phalanx of the middle finger
Related
Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Hand Bones; 8.2 Bones of the Upper Limb (OpenStax (Rice University), 2022) · adapted, CC BY 4.0; 8.5 Development of the Appendicular Skeleton (OpenStax (Rice University), 2022) · adapted, CC BY 4.0; Anatomy of the Human Body (20th ed.): Articulations of the Digits (Lea & Febiger (Gray's Anatomy, 1918), 1918) · adapted, Public domain.
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.
