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Carpal
Carpal means pertaining to the wrist. It has many used
in the field of medicine. One of the most common uses
is carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome is
numbness, tingling, and pain in the thumb, index finger,
middle finger, and part of the ring finger, due to
compression of a nerve (known as the median nerve)
which travels through the carpal tunnel.
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The carpal tunnel is a passage way in the palm side of the wrist that connects the
forearm to the middle compartment of the deep plane of the palm. There is a material
known as Carpal Skin, which is a protective glove worn over the wrist to protect against
carpal tunnel syndrome.
The term “carpal bones” refers to the wrist bones. The metacarpal bones are the bones
between the wrist and the fingers (what most people would call the hand). There is a rare
condition known as tarsal-carpal coalition syndrome, which is an inherited bone disorder
that mostly affects the hands and feet by causing bone fusion, stiffness, and immobility.
More commonly, there is carpal arthritis which refers to arthritis of the wrist. Arthritis is an
inflammatory condition of the joints, which is a place where two bones contact one
another.
Carpal comes from the Latin word "karpos" meaning "wrist."
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