Type of Bones

Long bones

Bones that are longer than they are wide

• Provide strength, structure, and mobility

• Found in the arms and legs

  • Femur

  • Humerus

  • Phalanges

Short bones

Cube shaped bones with nearly equal length, width, and thickness

• Provide stability and support

• Found primarily in the wrist and ankle

Flat bones

Broad, thin bones that protect internal organs and provide surfaces for muscle attachment

• Bones are composed of a layer of spongy bone between two layers of compact bone

• Includes the skull, ribs, sternum, and scapula

Irregular Bones

Type of bone that does not fit into the other classifications of bones

• Have complex and varied shapes

  • Vertebrae

  • Sacrum

  • Hyoid bone

  • Maxilla

  • Mandible

  • Temporal bone

Sesamoid bones

Small, round bone that develops within a tendon

• Act as pulleys to protect tendons from wear and tear and enhance leverage during movement

• Largest sesamoid bone

  • Patella