8. Appendicular Skeleton

Vocabulary flashcards identifying key terms, structures, and anatomical features of the appendicular skeleton.

Appendicular Skeleton

The division of the skeletal system comprising 126 bones, including the pectoral girdles, upper limbs, pelvic girdle, and lower limbs.

Pectoral Girdle

Also known as the shoulder girdle; composed of the clavicles and scapulae, it supports the upper limbs and articulates with the humerus to form the true shoulder joint.

Clavicle

A bone of the pectoral girdle that articulates with the manubrium of the sternum at its sternal end and with the acromion process of the scapula at its acromial end.

Scapula

The shoulder blade; features landmarks such as the spine, supraspinous fossa, infraspinous fossa, acromion process, coracoid process, glenoid cavity, and subscapular fossa.

Humerus

The bone of the upper arm; features include the head, greater and lesser tubercles, intertubercular groove, deltoid tuberosity, capitulum, trochlea, coronoid fossa, and olecranon fossa.

Radius

The lateral bone of the forearm; features include the head, radial tuberosity, styloid process, and ulnar notch.

Ulna

The medial bone of the forearm; features include the head, trochlear notch, olecranon process, coronoid process, styloid process, and radial notch.

Carpal Bones

A total of 16 wrist bones (8 per wrist) comprising the scaphoid, lunate, triquetral, pisiform, trapezium, trapezoid, capitate, and hamate.

Metacarpal Bones

A group of 10 total bones (5 per hand) located between the carpal wrist bones and the phalanges of the hand.

Phalanges (Hand)

A total of 28 finger bones (14 per hand) categorized into proximal, middle, and distal phalanxes.

Pelvic Girdle

Structure formed by two coxal bones that supports the trunk of the body, protects the viscera, and forms the pelvic cavity.

Hip Bones (Ossa Coxae)

The bones of the pelvic girdle, each created by the fusion of three bones: the ilium, ischium, and pubis, meeting at the acetabulum.

Ilium

The superior bone of the coxal bone; features the iliac crest, iliac spines, iliac fossa, and greater sciatic notch.

Ischium

The posterior-inferior bone of the coxal bone; features the ischial spine, lesser sciatic notch, and ischial tuberosity.

Pubis

The anterior-inferior bone of the coxal bone; features the obturator foramen, symphysis pubis, pubic crest, pubic tubercle, and pubic arch.

Greater Pelvis

The pelvic region enclosed by the lumbar vertebrae posteriorly, the iliac bones laterally, and the abdominal wall anteriorly.

Lesser Pelvis

The pelvic region enclosed by the sacrum and coccyx posteriorly, and the lower ilium, ischium, and pubic bones laterally and anteriorly.

Relaxin

A hormone produced during pregnancy that loosens the pubic symphysis and sacro-iliac ligaments, increasing the size of the pelvic inlet and outlet for childbearing.

Femur

The longest bone of the body; features include the head, fovea capitis, neck, greater and lesser trochanters, gluteal tuberosity, linea aspera, and condyles.

Patella

Also known as the kneecap; a bone located on the anterior surface of the knee joint with a base, apex, and articular surface.

Tibia

Also known as the shin bone; the medial bone of the lower leg relative to the fibula that features condyles, a tibial tuberosity, an anterior crest, and forms the medial malleolus.

Fibula

The long, slender, non-weight-bearing bone positioned lateral to the tibia that features a head and forms the lateral malleolus.

Tarsal Bones

A total of 14 ankle and heel bones (7 per foot) comprising the calcaneus, talus, navicular, cuboid, and three cuneiforms (lateral, intermediate, medial).

Metatarsals

A set of 10 bones (numbered I through V per foot) located between the tarsals and phalanges.

Hallux

The great toe, containing only proximal and distal phalanges.