A person with a hand fracture usually has broken one of the five metacarpal bones of the hand.

Fractures of the hand include:

• Fractures of the phalanges or finger fractures
• Fractures of the body of the hand or metacarpal fractures
• Fractures of the heel of the hand or carpal bone fractures (e.g. scaphoid fracture)

Hand fractures are common. The most common causes include sports injuries, occupational injuries, and altercations. A common cause for hand fracture is punching a solid object, such as a wall, with the closed fist.