Collateral metacarpophalangeal ligaments
Ligamenta metacarpophalangea collateralia
- Related terms: Collateral ligaments
Definition
The collateral ligaments are strong, rounded cords, placed on the sides of the joints; each is attached by one extremity to the posterior tubercle and adjacent depression on the side of the head of the metacarpal bone, and by the other to the contiguous extremity of the phalanx.
The dorsal surfaces of these joints are covered by the expansions of the Extensor tendons, together with some loose areolar tissue which connects the deep surfaces of the tendons to the bones.
This definition incorporates text from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy (20th U.S. edition of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, published in 1918 – from http://www.bartleby.com/107/).
