Unlock Hand Surgery Codes With Proper Lingo

Remember key terms with this handy reference list

If you don’t know hand anatomy inside-out, coding ligament and tendon surgeries will send you--and your facility’s reimbursement--for a loop. Use this quick cheat sheet when physicians’ terminology is leaving you stumped.
Bones
· Dorsal: the backside of your hand (where your knuckles are)
· Volar: the palm of your hand
· Proximal: closest to the center
· Distal: farthest away from the center
· Carpal bones: Your hand contains eight of these--scaphoid, lunate, triquetrum, pisiform, hamate, capitate, trapezoid and trapezium.
· First ray: thumb
· Fifth ray: pinky finger
· Finger joints: from proximal to distal, they are the metacarpal phalangeal (MCP), the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) and the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints.
· Phalanges: the major bones in the fingers (three in each finger, two in the thumb)
· Radius and ulna: bones of the forearm that connect to the hand
· Hand joints: the joints where your hand meets your forearm include the carpometacarpal (CMC), the distal radial ulnar, radial carpal and intercarpal joints.
Ligaments
· Radial and ulnar collateral: stabilize joint by limiting side-to-side movement
· Volar plate: specialized thickening of the capsule of the PIP joints
· Scapholunate: wrist ligament that is frequently injured and often problematic
Muscles
· FDS: flexor digitorum superficialis, which is your forearm muscle that flexes the PIP joints
· FDP and FPL: flexor digitorum profundis and flexor pollicis longus, which flex your DIP joints
· Lumbrical: flexes the MP joint
· Interosseus: muscles between the bones
Tendons
· Extensor and flexor: pass from muscles in the forearm to finger bones

- Published on 2005-11-21