handen

Handen is the Dutch plural form of hand and is commonly used to refer to the two hands collectively. The singular form is hand. In everyday and medical language, handen denotes the distal upper-limb extremities that humans use for grasping, manipulating objects, and sensing the environment.

Anatomy: The hand consists of the wrist and the structures beyond it. It contains eight carpal bones, five metacarpal bones, and fourteen phalanges. The palm is separated from the dorsum by skin and soft tissue, and it includes intrinsic muscles: the thenar group at the base of the thumb, the hypothenar group at the base of the little finger, interossei, and lumbricals. The major joints include the radiocarpal and midcarpal articulations in the wrist, the metacarpophalangeal (knuckle) joints, and the interphalangeal joints. Nerves (primarily median, ulnar, and radial) provide sensation and motor control; arteries form the superficial and deep palmar arches to supply blood.

Function and health: The hand enables grip, pinch, precision manipulation, and tactile discrimination. Protective reflexes and sensation allow manipulation and interaction with objects. Health conditions affecting hands include carpal tunnel syndrome, fractures of the distal radius or metacarpals, ligament injuries, and Dupuytren's contracture.

Etymology and usage: The Dutch word hand derives from the same Germanic roots as the English hand and the German Hand; handen uses the regular plural suffix -en. The term is cognate with English "hands" and German "Hände."