[Comparative anatomy of the hand]
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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Vascularized Composite Hand Allograft Procurement and Preparation for Distal and Proximal Forearm Allotransplantation: A Stepwise Approach
Published on: May 23, 2025
1Service d'orthopédie traumatologie, hôpital Bichat, 46, rue Henri-Huchard, 75018 Paris, France.
Abstract:
The pentadactyl scheme is common to all tetrapods, even in case of adaptative phenomenon (five digits are observed during ontogenesis), or in case of functional convergence The carpal organization with two rows is common too, if we take into account the desappearing of the central bones in mature man. The sellar shape of the trapeziometacarpal joint of the thumb, to often attributed to Man and his only thumb, is in fact the regular shape of all carpometacarpal articulations and present in very ancient primitive primate fossils. Some discontinuous caracters in Man (entepicondylar tunnel) are present in all individuals of some species (carnivors). Rarely present in Man, it can exceptionally produce a real pathology.
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