Pisiform bone joint, articulating with the triquetral bone. It is on a plane anterior to the other carpal bones and is spheroidal in form. The pisiform bone has four surfaces: Unlike the other carpal bones, the pisiform is not involved in movement of the wrist. The etymology derives from the Latin "pīsum" which means "pea". All other tetrapods have pisiform, being the most common sesamoid. As compared with apes, which have an elongated Pisiform, humans have a shorter pisiform bone. This is due to the loss of the single growth plate typically found in other mammalian pisiforms. This may be because of
Traditional Chinese medicines derived from the human body "cruel or foul". Li Shizhen sharply criticized medicinal usage of bone and flesh. In ancient times, people thought it a benevolent deed to bury discarded human bones. Such people thought that they would be rewarded with good. But some alchemists [方伎] collect human bones and use them as a drug with the hope of making a profit from them. Should this be done to those who save people from diseases? Even dogs do not eat the bones of dogs. Why should a human eat the bones of other humans? (52.27, tr. Luo 2003: 4178-9) Under the 52.34 human flesh entry,