4.2: The finger

The Introduction to the Forensic Sciences · LibreTexts

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    Next, we need to learn the terminology of the phalanx (finger) and palmar (palm) surfaces:

    Proximal phalanx – The area of the finger closest to the palm

    Distal phalanx – The area of the finger furthest from the palm

    Medial phalanx – The are of the finger between the proximal phalanx and the distal phalanx

    Proximal crease – The flexion line of the joint between the palm and the proximal phalanx

    Distal crease – The flexion line of the joint between the distal phalanx and the medial phalanx

    Medial crease – The flexion line of the joint between the medial phalanx and the proximal phalanx

    Labeled diagram of a finger, showing different sections: distal phalanx, medial phalanx, proximal phalanx, and their corresponding creases.
    Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Left index finger

    What about the thumb? The thumb only has a distal phalanx/crease and a proximal phalanx/crease. It should be noted that the distal phalanx is also called the volar pad, but more on that a bit later.

    This page titled 4.2: The finger was last modified on Sun, 25 Jan 2026 01:27:47 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by David Doglietto.