Question

Which is the first carpal bone to ossify (appear)?

• A. Trapezium
• B. Capitate
• C. Pisiform
• D. Lunate

Hint:

Think of the bone in the centre of the wrist - it leads the sequence at about 1 year.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: The carpal bones are entirely cartilaginous at birth and ossify postnatally in a fairly fixed sequence. Knowing the order is useful for estimating skeletal age in children.

Step 2: The capitate is the first carpal bone to ossify, with its centre appearing around 1 to 2 months to 1 year of age, closely followed by the hamate in the second year.

Step 3: A simple way to remember the rough timeline (in years): Capitate 1, Hamate 2, Triquetrum 3, Lunate 4, Scaphoid and Trapezoid 5, Trapezium 6, and Pisiform last at around 9 to 11 years.

Step 4: Therefore trapezium, pisiform and lunate all ossify well after the capitate, making capitate the correct answer. The pisiform is in fact the last carpal bone to ossify.