Human anatomy

By
Hussein Sh. Mustafa
Bachelor in physiotherapy/ HMU
Diploma in pharmacy/ EPU

Lab 3
practical
 Bones of upper limb
Each upper extremity consists of 30 bones and divided
into three regions. These consist of the arm, located
between the shoulder and elbow joints; forearm, which is
between the elbow and wrist joints; and hand, which is
located distal to the wrist.

List of bones of the upper limb:

 Clavicle  Radius
 Scapula  Carpal Bones
 Humerus  Metacarpal Bones
 Ulna  Phalanx Bones
Clavicle bone
• slender, S-shaped clavicle, or collarbone, lies horizontally across the anterior part of the thorax superior to the
first rib.
• The medial end, called the sternal end. it is rounded and articulates with the manubrium of the sternum to form
the sternoclavicular joint.
• The broad, flat, lateral end, the acromial end , articulates with the acromion of the scapula to form the
acromioclavicular joint.
• The conoid tubercle on the inferior surface of the lateral end of the bone is a point of attachment for the conoid
ligament, which attaches the clavicle and scapula.
• The inferior surface of the sternal end is a point of attachment for the costoclavicular ligament, which attaches
the clavicle and first rib.
Scapula
• Scapula, or shoulder blade, is a large, triangular, flat bone
situated in the superior part of the posterior thorax between
the levels of the second and seventh ribs.
• A prominent ridge called the spine runs diagonally across
the posterior surface of the scapula.
• The lateral end of the spine projects as a flattened,
expanded process called the acromion.
• As noted earlier, the acromion articulates with the acromial
end of the clavicle to form the acromioclavicular joint.
• Inferior to the acromion is a shallow depression, the
glenoid cavity, that accepts the head of the humerus (arm
bone) to form the glenohumeral (shoulder) joint.
• At the lateral end of the superior border of the scapula is a
projection of the anterior surface called the coracoid
process , which tendons and ligaments attach.
 Humerus
• The humerus, the longest and largest bone in the upper limb

• The spheroidal humeral head forms an enarthrodial articulation with

the glenoid fossa of the scapula called (glenohumeral joint)

• The margin of the smooth area of the head is the anatomical neck of the
humerus.

• The greater tubercle is the most lateral part of the proximal end of the
humerus and projects beyond the lateral border of the acromion.

• The smaller lesser tubercle of the humerus is found on the anterior

aspect of the humerus.

• Both the greater and lesser tubercles serve as attachment sites for
muscles that act across the shoulder joint.
• The distal end of the humerus is a
modified condyle; it is wider
transversely and has articular and non-
articular parts.

• The articular part is curved forwards,

so that its anterior and posterior
surfaces lie in front of the
corresponding surfaces of the shaft.

• It articulates with the radius and the

ulna at the elbow joint.
 Ulna
• The ulna is the medial bone of the forearm. It runs parallel to the radius, which is the lateral bone
of the forearm. The proximal end of the ulna resembles a crescent wrench with its large, C-shaped
trochlear notch.
• This region articulates with the trochlea of the humerus as part of the elbow joint.
• The inferior margin of the trochlear notch is formed by a prominent lip of bone called the
coronoid process of the ulna.
• Just below this on the anterior ulna is a roughened area called the ulnar tuberosity.
• To the lateral side and slightly inferior to the trochlear notch is a small, smooth area called the
radial notch of the ulna.
• This area is the site of articulation between the proximal radius and the ulna, forming the
proximal radioulnar joint .
• The posterior and superior portions of the proximal ulna make up the olecranon process, which
forms the bony tip of the elbow.
• More distal is the shaft of the ulna.

• The small, rounded area that forms

the distal end is the head of the ulna.

• Projecting from the posterior side of

the ulnar head is the styloid process
of the ulna, a short bony projection.

• This serves as an attachment point for

a connective tissue structure that
unites the distal ends of the ulna and
radius.
 Radius
• The radius runs parallel to the ulna, on the lateral (thumb) side of the forearm .
• The head of the radius is a disc-shaped structure that forms the proximal end.
• small depression on the surface of the head articulates with the capitulum of the humerus as part of
the elbow joint.
• the smooth, outer margin of the head articulates with the radial notch of the ulna at the proximal
radioulnar joint.
• The neck of the radius is the narrowed region immediately below the expanded head.
• Inferior to this point on the medial side is the radial tuberosity, an oval-shaped, bony
protuberance that serves as a muscle attachment point.
• The distal end of the radius has a smooth surface for articulation with two carpal bones to form the
radiocarpal joint or wrist joint .
• The lateral end of the radius has a pointed projection called the styloid process of the radius. This
provides attachment for ligaments that support the lateral side of the wrist joint.
 Carpal bones
• The wrist and base of the hand are formed by a series of eight small carpal bones.
• The carpal bones are arranged in two rows, forming a proximal row of four carpal bones and a distal
row of four carpal bones.
• The bones in the proximal row, running from the lateral (thumb) side to the medial side, are the
scaphoid (“boat-shaped”), lunate (“moon-shaped”), triquetrum (“three-cornered”), and pisiform
(“pea-shaped”) bones.
• The distal bones (lateral to medial) are the trapezium (“table”), trapezoid (“resembles a table”),
capitate (“head-shaped”), and hamate (“hooked bone”) bones.
• The hamate bone is characterized by a prominent bony extension on its anterior side called the hook
of the hamate bone.
• The scaphoid, lunate, and triquetrum, contribute to the radiocarpal joint.
• The scaphoid and lunate bones articulate directly with the distal end of the radius, whereas the
triquetrum bone articulates with a fibrocartilaginous pad that spans the radius and styloid process of
the ulna.
• The distal end of the ulna thus does not directly articulate with any of the carpal bones.
 Metacarpal bones
• The palm of the hand contains five elongated metacarpal
bones. These bones lie between the carpal bones of the
wrist and the bones of the fingers and thumb.

• Each of these articulations is a carpometacarpal joint.

• The expanded distal end of each metacarpal bone

articulates at the metacarpophalangeal joint with the
proximal phalanx bone of the thumb or one of the
fingers.

• The distal end also forms the knuckles of the hand, at

the base of the fingers.

• The metacarpal bones are numbered 1–5, beginning at

the thumb.
 Phalanx bones
• The fingers and thumb contain 14 bones,
each of which is called a phalanx bone
(plural = phalanges), named after the
ancient Greek phalanx (a rectangular block
of soldiers).

• The thumb (pollex) is digit number 1 and

has two phalanges, a proximal phalanx,
and a distal phalanx bone.

• Digits 2 (index finger) through 5 (little

finger) have three phalanges each, called
the proximal, middle, and distal phalanx
bones.

• An interphalangeal joint is one of the

articulations between adjacent phalanges
of the digits.