Little finger - e-Anatomy - IMAIOS (2024)

The little finger, often called the pinky in American English, pinkie in Scottish English (from the Dutch word pink, "little finger"), or fifth digit in medicine, is the most ulnar and usually smallest finger of the human hand, opposite the thumb, next to the ring finger.

For details refer to the description of digits of hand.

Text reviewed by Muhammad A. Javaid, MD, PhD © 2023 IMAIOS.

  • Drake, R.L., Vogl, A.W. and Mitchell, A.W.M. (2009). ‘Chapter 7: Upper Limb’ in Gray’s anatomy for Students. (2nd ed.) Philadelphia PA 19103-2899: Elsevier, pp. 751-774.

  • Dawson-Amoah, K. and Varacallo, M. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Hand Intrinsic Muscles. [Updated 2022 Jul 25]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539810/

Little finger - e-Anatomy - IMAIOS (2024)

FAQs

What is the anatomy of the pinky finger? ›

The pinky finger contains a proximal phalange jointed to a metacarpal. The proximal is jointed to the middle phalanx. At the tip of the pinky finger is the distal phalanx. This bone also provides the skeletal support for the pinky's fingernail, as well as the sensitive mass of tissue making up the fingertip.

Is the pinky the strongest finger? ›

Fingers have been demonstrated to differ in their motor ability in experiments that explored grip strength as well as when measuring produced forces for each finger individually: middle and index fingers were stronger than ring and little fingers, and the little finger was the weakest overall (Li, Latash, & Zatsiorsky, ...

What is the little finger medical? ›

The little finger, often called the pinky in American English, pinkie in Scottish English (from the Dutch word pink, "little finger"), or fifth digit in medicine, is the most ulnar and usually smallest finger of the human hand, opposite the thumb, next to the ring finger.

Is the little finger blank to the thumb? ›

medial and lateral just refer to either closer, or further away to the midline. And just going back to the importance of the anatomical position, we would say that the little finger is medial to the thumb, because in the anatomical position, the little finger is closer to the midline.

What part of spine controls pinky finger? ›

C8 is the nerve "root" that exits the spinal cord below the seventh vertebra in the neck. It travels into the brachial plexus and eventually becomes the nerves that feed muscles in the hand and muscles that bend the fingers. It also provides sensation on the small finger side of the hand and forearm.

What are the muscles under the pinky finger? ›

[11][3] The hypothenar muscle is a collection of three muscles at the fleshy base of the pinky finger (fifth digit) on the palmar aspect that acts to exert movement about the pinky. The hypothenar muscles include abductor digiti minimi (ADM), flexor digiti minimi brevis (FDMB) and opponens digiti minimi (ODM).

What's the worst finger to lose? ›

Of all your fingers, you might think your pinky is the most useless. But your little finger is particularly important in a strong grip and hand surgeons agree if you're going to lose one, the index finger is the best one to lose.

Which finger is connected to the brain? ›

The thumb represents the brain, the index finger represents the liver/gall bladder. The middle finger represents heart, the ring finger represents hormones and the little finger or pinky represents digestion.

Which finger is most important? ›

The thumb is the most important finger of the human hand and has a great influence on grasp manipulations. However, the extent to which joints other than the thumb joints affect the grasp, and thus, which joints should be included in a prosthetic hand, remains an open issue.

Which bone is connected to the little finger? ›

The base of the proximal phalanx of the little finger forms an articulation with the head of the fifth metacarpal at the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint. The head of the proximal phalanx articulates with the base of the middle phalanx to form the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint.

Why is the little finger important? ›

She explained that while the index and middle fingers function, with the thumb, in pinching and grabbing - zipping zippers, buttoning buttons - the pinkie teams up with the ring finger to provide power.

What is the function of the little finger? ›

The digiti minimi also plays a vital role in hand dexterity. Dexterity is the ability to move the fingers with precision and accuracy, and the digiti minimi contributes to this by providing support to the other fingers. It helps to stabilize the hand and provide a secure base from which the other fingers can move.

Is the pinky finger offensive in China? ›

The pinky finger isn't considered offensive in Chinese culture but can have a negative connotation. In some instances, showing someone your pinky finger means you think they're weak or a loser, while most of the time, it means nothing at all.

Which organ is the little finger connected to? ›

4. Ring finger (Anamika): Element - Earth; Organ - Kidneys and Excretory System. 5. Little finger (Kanishtha): Element - Water; Organ - Spleen and Reproductive System.

Which finger is the longest? ›

The middle finger, long finger, or tall finger is the third digit of the human hand, located between the index finger and the ring finger. It is usually the longest finger. It is also called the third finger, digitus medius, digitus tertius, or digitus III in anatomy.

What is the fifth finger in anatomy? ›

The little finger or pinkie, also known as the baby finger, fifth digit, or pinky finger, is the most ulnar and smallest digit of the human hand, and next to the ring finger.

Why can't the pinky finger move independently? ›

The little finger also has some independent muscles for certain movements. However, the ring finger and pinky do not have independent flexor or extensor muscles [3]. Instead, they rely on muscles that are shared with the other fingers.

Which finger is connected to the heart? ›

The fourth finger of the left hand, believed to possess a vein that runs securely to the heart, has traditionally been ringed. This Vein of Love, or more amorously called the Vena Amoris, 1 originated in ancient Egypt, where it was first described by Macrobius in 395–423 AD.

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