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Heberden's and Bouchard's nodes

Skeletal and outside view of hand showing bony nodes at the joints.

Bony bumps on the finger joint closest to the fingernail are called Heberden's nodes. Bony bumps on the middle joint of the finger are known as Bouchard's nodes.

Bony bumps are also common at the base of the thumb. These bumps do not have a nickname, but the joint is called the CMC or carpometacarpal joint. The name comes from the bone of the wrist (carpal) and the bone of the thumb (metacarpal).

Current as of: November 9, 2022

Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Anne C. Poinier MD - Internal Medicine
Martin J. Gabica MD - Family Medicine
Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine
Stanford M. Shoor MD - Rheumatology

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