Appendicular Skeleton

1. Activity 4:
Appendicular Skeleton
Chapter 8 – Human Anatomy (4e) textbook
Objectives:
• Identify the bones and bone markings from the
upper limb and pectoral girdle.
• Identify the bones and bone markings from the
lower limb and pelvic girdle.
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Compilation: Kathryn Watson & Claudia Gonzales
Last Revision: Mohammad Tomaraei

2. Appendicular Skeleton
• 2 pairs of limbs, and 2 girdles
• Pectoral (shoulder) girdle attaches upper limbs to axial skeleton,
consisting of
• Clavicle (2)
• Scapula (2)
• Pelvic (hip) girdle secures lower limbs to axial skeleton, and is
made of
• Os Coxa (hip bone) (2)
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3. Appendicular Skeleton
• 3-Segmented limbs
• Upper limb = arm
• Arm
• Forearm
• Wrist & Hand
• Lower limb = leg
• Thigh & Knee
• Leg
• Foot
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4. Appendicular Skeleton – Helpful Terms
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5. Pectoral Girdle - Clavicle
• S-shaped, long bone; connects manubrium of sternum to
acromion of scapula
• Sternal end (medial):
• Pyramid shaped
• Articulates with clavicular notch of manubrium on sternum
• Acromial end (lateral):
• Broad and flattened
• Articulates with acromion of scapula
• Conoid tubercle:
• Cone-shaped, round projection
• Near the acromial end
• Located inferiorly and posteriorly (down and back)
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6. Pectoral Girdle - Clavicle
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Orientation: Sternal end goes medially, conoid tubercle faces inferiorly, posteriorly

7. Pectoral Girdle - Scapula
• Broad, flat, triangular bone; forms the “shoulder blade”
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• Superior border
• Suprascapular notch: adjacent to superior border
• Medial (vertebral) border
• Lateral (axillary) border
• Superior angle
• Inferior angle
• Spine: posterior ridge of bone
• Acromion: posterior process continuous to spine

8. Pectoral Girdle - Scapula
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• Coracoid process: smaller anterior projection
• Supraspinous fossa: depression superior to spine
• Infraspinous fossa: depression inferior to spine
• Subscapular fossa: anterior surface of scapula
• Glenoid cavity (fossa): articulates with humerus
• Supraglenoid tubercle: superior to glenoid cavity
• Infraglenoid tubercle: inferior to glenoid cavity

9. Pectoral Girdle - Scapula
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Orientation: Spine is located posteriorly, acromial process points laterally

10. Upper limb – Arm – Humerus
• Long bone; runs from the shoulder to the elbow; connects scapula
and the two bones of the lower arm, radius and ulna
• Head (of humerus): medial, articulates with glenoid cavity
• Greater tubercle: more prominent
• Lesser tubercle: smaller of tubercles
• Intertubercular sulcus/groove: runs between two tubercles
• Anatomical neck: between tubercles and head
• Surgical neck: a common fracture site
• Deltoid tuberosity: attachment site for deltoid muscle (lateral)
• Coronoid fossa: articulates with coronoid process of ulna
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11. Upper limb – Arm – Humerus
• Olecranon fossa: articulates with olecranon process of ulna
• Radial fossa: articulates with head of radius
• Medial epicondyle
• Lateral epicondyle
• Trochlea: articulates with trochlear notch of ulna; medial
• Capitulum: articulates with head of radius; lateral
• Radial groove: radial nerve and vessels travel through it
(posterior)
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12. Upper Limb – Arm – Humerus
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Orientation: Head of humerus faces medially (into the body), olecranon fossa faces posteriorly

13. Upper Limb – Forearm – Ulna
• Longer than radius, medially located
• Olecranon (process): articulates with olecranon process of
humerus
• Styloid process (of ulna): medial
• Coronoid process (of ulna): articulates with coronoid fossa of
humerus – remember coroNoid because it’s on ulNa
• Trochlear notch: articulates with trochlea of the humerus
• Radial notch of ulna: articulates with head of radius
• Head of ulna: located distally/inferiorly, next to styloid process
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14. Upper Limb – Forearm – Radius
• Shorter than ulna, laterally located
• Head (of radius)
• Neck (of radius)
• Radial tuberosity: attachment site for biceps brachii muscle
• Ulnar notch: articulates with head (distal) of ulna
• Styloid process (of radius): lateral
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15. Upper Limb – Forearm – Radius and Ulna
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Radius orientation:
Radial tuberosity faces
anteriorly; styloid
process of radius is
positioned laterally
Ulna orientation:
Trochlear notch faces
anteriorly; the styloid
process of ulna is
positioned medially

16. Upper Limb – Wrist & Hand – Carpal Bones (8)
• Bones between radius and ulna, and the metacarpals; form the
wrist; connect hand to forearm
• Proximal row (lateral to medial):
• Scaphoid bone
• Lunate bone
• Triquetrum bone
• Pisiform bone
• Distal row (lateral to medial):
• Trapezium bone
• Trapezoid bone
• Capitate bone
• Hamate bone
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17. Upper Limb – Wrist & Hand – Carpal Bones (8)
Mnemonics to remember the carpal bones:
• Some Lovers Try Positions They Can’t Handle
(lateral  medial both rows)
Scaphoid Lunate Triquetrum Pisiform
Trapzeium Trapezoid Capitate Hamate
• So Long To Pinky, Here Comes The Thumb
(lateral to medial proximal row, medial to lateral distal row)
Scaphoid Lunate Triquetrum Pisiform
Hamate Capitate Trapezoid Trapezium
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18. Upper Limb – Wrist & Hand
• Metacarpals (1 through 5)
• Phalanges (1 through 5)
• Proximal phalanx (1 through 5)
• Middle phalanx (2 through 5)
• Distal phalanx ( 1 through 5)
• Note: all the phalanges consist of proximal, middle, and distal
phalanges, except the pollex which lacks a middle phalanx
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19. Upper Limb – Wrist & Hand
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20. Upper Limb – Wrist & Hand
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21. Pelvic Girdle – Os Coxa (2)
• Composed of fused ilium, ischium, and pubis bones
• Acetabulum: articulates with head of femur
• Obturator foramen: obturator nerve and blood vessels pass
through this foramen
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22. Pelvic Girdle – Os Coxa (2) – Ilium
• Iliac crest
• Anterior superior iliac spine
• Anterior inferior iliac spine
• Posterior superior iliac spine
• Posterior inferior iliac spine
• Greater sciatic notch: passageway to sciatic nerve
• Iliac fossa
• Auricular surface (of ilium): articulates with sacrum
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23. Pelvic Girdle – Os Coxa (2) – Ischium
• Body (of ischium)
• Ischial spine
• Lesser sciatic notch
• Ramus (of ischium) or ischial ramus
• Ischial tuberosity
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24. Pelvic Girdle – Os Coxa (2) – Pubis
• Body (of pubis)
• Pubic tubercle
• Pubic crest
• Superior pubic ramus
• Inferior pubic ramus
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25. Pelvic Girdle – Os Coxa (2)
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Orientation: Pubis faces anteriorly and medially, ischium faces posteriorly and medially (or you
can try to hold it next to your head like a telephone; if it fits it’s from that side!)

26. Pelvic Girdle – Os Coxa (2)
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Orientation: Pubis faces anteriorly and medially, ischium faces posteriorly and medially (or you
can use the telephone method!)

27. Lower Limb – Thigh & Knee – Femur
• Longest bone of the body; connects to the hip joint and knee joint
• Head (of femur): articulates with acetabulum of os coxa
• Fovea
• Neck (of femur)
• Greater trochanter
• Lesser trochanter
• Intertrochanteric crest: connects trochanters
• Shaft (of femur)
• Gluteal tuberosity: attachment site of gluteus maximus muscle
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28. Lower Limb – Thigh & Knee – Femur
• Linea aspera: posterior; attachment site for muscles
• Medial condyle (of femur)
• Medial epicondyle (of femur)
• Adductor tubercle: attachment site for adductor magnus muscle
• Lateral condyle (of femur)
• Lateral epicondyle (of femur)
• Intercondylar fossa: separates condyles
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29. Lower Limb – Thigh & Knee – Patella
• Also known as the kneecap
• Circular-triangular bone which articulates with femur
• Covers and protects the anterior articular surface of knee joint
• Largest sesamoid bone in the body
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30. Lower Limb – Thigh & Knee – Femur & Patella
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Orientation: Head of femur faces medially; intercondylar fossa is situated posteriorly

31. Lower Limb – Leg & Foot – Tibia
• Also known as the shinbone; the larger and stronger of the two
long bones of leg (tibia and fibula)
• Medial condyle (of tibia)
• Lateral condyle (of tibia)
• Intercondylar eminence
• Tibial tuberosity
• Medial malleolus
• Anterior border (crest)
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32. Lower Limb – Leg & Foot – Fibula
• Also known as the calf bone; the smaller and more slender of the
two long bones of leg (tibia and fibula)
• Head (of fibula)
• Neck (of fibula)
• Lateral malleolus
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33. Lower Limb – Leg & Foot – Tibia & Fibula
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Tibia orientation: Tibial tuberosity faces anteriorly, medial malleolus medially

34. How to tell if it’s a left or right fibula?
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• Make sure you’re looking at a fibula!
• On its lateral aspect, and near the distal
end, find a diagonal rough line, just above
the lateral malleolus.
• Following the direction of this line upwards
tells you if it’s a left or right fibula.
• Here, our diagonal line goes to left so it’s a
left fibula.
Source:
http://slipstreamborne.tumblr.com/

35. Lower Limb – Leg & Foot – Tarsal Bones (7)
• A cluster of seven articulating bones situated between the lower
end of tibia and fibula, and the metatarsal bones
• Talus bone
• Calcaneus bone
• Navicular bone
• Medial cuneiform bone
• Intermediate cuneiform bone
• Lateral cuneiform bone
• Cuboid bone
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36. Lower Limb – Leg & Foot – Tarsal Bones (7)
Mnemonics to remember the tarsal bones:
• The Circus Needs More Interesting Little Clowns
Talus – Calcaneus – Navicular – Medial cuneiform – Intermediate
Cuneiform – Lateral Cuneiform – Cuboid
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37. Lower Limb – Leg & Foot – Metatarsal Bones & Phalanges
• Metatarsal bones (1 through 5)
• Phalanges (1 through 5)
• Proximal phalanx (1 through 5)
• Middle phalanx (2 through 5)
• Distal phalanx ( 1 through 5)
• Note: all the phalanges consist of proximal, middle, and distal
phalanges, except the hallux which lacks a middle phalanx
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38. Lower Limb - Foot
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