Hand bones. View of the bones making up the hand of a female skeleton. At top the end of the bones of the forearm, the ulna (at left) and radius, are seen. Bones of the hand consist of eight small carpals in the wrist (upper centre), which articulate with the two forearm bones. Five long metacarpal bones (at centre) make up the palm of the hand. Each finger is made of three phalanges, except the thumb (at right) which has two such bones. This skeleton enables the human hand to be used with great flexibility, helped especially by the joint between the wrist and the opposable thumb.