Hamate bone Wrist". The calcification of the unciform bone is seen on X-rays during puberty and is sometimes used in orthodontics to determine if an adolescent patient is suitable for orthognathic intervention (i.e. before or at their growth spurt). The etymology derives from the Latin "hamatus" "hooked," from "hamus" which means "hook". Hamate bone The hamate bone or unciform bone (from Latin "uncus", "hook") is a bone in the human wrist readily distinguishable by its wedge shape and a hook-like process ("hamulus") projecting from its palmar surface. The hamate is an irregularly shaped carpal bone found within the hand. The hamate is
Hamate bone of the hand. The ossification of the hamate starts between 1 and 12 months. The hamate does not fully ossify until about the 15th year of life. The bone is also found in many other mammals, and is homologous with the "fourth distal carpal" of reptiles and amphibians. The carpal bones function as a unit to provide a bony superstructure for the hand. The hamate bone is the bone most commonly fractured when a golfer hits the ground hard with a golf club on the downswing or a hockey player hits the ice with a slap shot. The fracture is