The Appendicular Skeleton The Appendicular Skeleton

• Composed of 126 bones

– Limbs (appendages)
– Pectoral girdle (attach upper limbs to the
appendicular skeleton)
– Pelvic girdle (attach lower limbs to the
appendicular skeleton)

Figure 5.6a

The Appendicular Skeleton The Pectoral (Shoulder) Girdle

• Composed of two bones (free movement of
the upper limb)
– 1. Clavicle—collarbone
• Attached to the sternum and the scapula
• Helps to form shoulder joint
• Helps prevent shoulder dislocation and keeps the arm
away from the top of the thorax

Figure 5.6b

The Pectoral (Shoulder) Girdle Bones of the Upper Limbs: Humerus

– 2. Scapula—shoulder blade
• Not directly attached to the axial skeleton (muscles)
• The glenoid cavity receives the head of the arm bone
(very shallow)
• The scapula has two important processes
– Acromion: attaches to the clavicle at the acromioclavicular
joint (AC joint)
– Corocoid process: anchors some of the muscles to the arm
• Free movement can cause dislocations
• Thirty bones form the skeletal framework of
each upper limb (arm, forearm and hand)
• The arm:
– Formed by a single bone: humerus (typical long bone)
– It’s proximal end (head) fits into the glenoid cavity of the
scapula
– The head has 2 bony projections called the greater and lesser
tubercles (muscle attachment)
– Distal to the tubercles is the surgical neck (most commonly
fractured part of the humerus

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 Bones of the Upper Limb: Humerus
• At the midpoint of the shaft is a roughened area
called the deltoid tuberosity (where the deltoid
attaches)
• At the distal medial aspect is the trochlea and
laterally the capitulum (both articulate with
bones of the forearm)
• There is also the medial and lateral epicondyles
• Above the trochlea anteriorly is the coronoid
fossa, posteriorly is the olecranon fossa
– These fossa allow the ulna to move freely when the elbow is bent or
straightened
Bones of the Upper Limbs: Forearm
– 2. Radius
• Lateral bone in anatomical position
• Both proximally and distally the radial and ulna bones
meet up at small radioulnar joints.
• Both bones are connected along their entire length by
the interosseous membrane
• The radius also has a styloid process distally
• The head of the radius forms a joint with the capitulum
of the humerous
Bones of the Pelvic Girdle
• Each hip bone is composed of three pairs of
fused bones
• Together with the sacrum and coccyx the hip bones
form the bony pelvis
– 1. Ilium: connects posteriorly with the sacrum
– 2. Ischium: the sit-down bone
– 3. Pubis: most anterior of the girdle
Bones of the Upper Limbs: Forearm
• The forearm has two bones
– 1. Ulna
• Medial bone in anatomical position
• At it’s proximal end anteriorly you will find the coronoid
process and posteriorly the olecranon process (these
together grip the trochlea of the humerus)
• At it’s distal end is the styloid process
Bones of the Upper Limbs
• The hand
• 1. Carpals—wrist
– There are 8 carpal bones arranged into two rows of four bones
– These bones are bound together by ligaments
• 2. Metacarpals—palm
– Numbered 1-5 from the thumb to the little finger
• 3. Phalanges—fingers
– There are 14 on each hand (there are three in each finger:
proximal, middle and distal) (there are only two on the thumb
(proximal and distal)
Bones of the Pelvic Girdle
• The ilium connects with the sacrum at the sacroiliac joint
• The upper edge of the ilium is called the iliac crest and can be felt
when you put your hands on your hips
• The ischium forms the most inferior part of the pelvic girdle
– Ischial tuberosity: recieves body weight when you are sitting
– Also home to the greater sciatic notch that allows blood and nerve
supply to the posterior thigh
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 Bones of the Pelvic Girdle Bones of the Pelvic Girdle
• The pubic bone is the most anterior bone of the • The ilium, ischium and pubis fuse together at
pelvic girdle
the acetabulum (recieves the head of the
• The pubic bones fuse anteriorly to form the pubic
femur)
symphysis
• The female pelvis differs from the male pelvis
• Fusion of the pubic rami anteriorly and the because of childbirth.
ishium posteriorly forms an opening called the
obturator foramen
– An opening that allows blood vessels and nerves to
enter the anterior thigh

Bones of the Pelvic Girdle Gender Differences of the Pelvis

• The total weight of the upper body rests on • The female inlet is larger and more circular
the pelvis • The female pelvis as a whole is shallower, and the
bones are lighter and thinner
• It protects several organs
• The female ilia flare more laterally
– Reproductive organs
• The female sacrum is shorter and less curved
– Urinary bladder
• The female ischial spines are shorter and farther
– Part of the large intestine apart; thus the outlet is larger
• The female pubic arch is more rounded because
the angle of the pubic arch is greater

Bones of the Lower Limbs: Thigh Bones of the Lower Limb: Thigh
• The lower limb bones carry your body
weight when you are errect • The gluteal tuberosity on the shaft also serves as a muscle attachment site

• These include the bones of the thigh, leg • The neck of the femur is a common fracture site in old age
and foot
• The femur slants medially to articulate with the knee

• The thigh has one bone • Distally the femur has the lateral and medial condyles which articulate
– Femur with the tibia of the leg
• The heaviest, strongest bone in the body
• It has a ball like head that sits in the acetabulum • Anteriorly the femur is smooth and articulates with the patella
• It has a neck and a greater and lesser trochanter separated
by the intertrochanteric line anteriorly and the
intertrochanteric crest posteriorly (muscle attachment sites)

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 Bones of the Lower Limb: Leg Bones of the Lower Limb: Leg
• The lower leg has two bones that are – Fibula
connected by an interosseous membrane • Thin and sticklike
• Found laterally to the tibia
– Tibia
• Shinbone • It has no part in forming the knee joint
• Larger and medially oriented • It’s distal end has the lateral malleolus and forms the
• At proximal ends it’s medial and lateral condyles articulate with outer part of the ankly
the femoral condyles to form the knee joint
• The patella ligament attaches to the tibial tuberosity (roughened
process on the anterior surface of the tibia)
• Distally the tibia has the medial malleolus that forms the inner
bulge of the ankle

Bones of the Lower Limbs: Foot Bones of the Lower Limb: Foot
– The foot is composed of the tarsals, metatarsals – Metatarsals—5 form the sole of the foot
and phalanges – Phalanges— 14 form the toes
– It supports body weight and serves a lever to • Each toe has three phalanges except for the big toe
propel our bodies forward during walking or which only has two
running
– Tarsals
• There are 7 tarsal bones
• Two largest tarsals
– Calcaneus (heelbone)
– Talus (lies between the tibia and calcaneous)

Arches of the Foot

• Bones of the foot are arranged to form three
strong arches
– Two longitudinal (one is medial and one is lateral)
– One transverse

– Ligaments, tendons and muscle work to maintain

these arches but allow a degree of flexibility