Duration: 50 min Course (Code) Week No
Skeletal System
Author: Bharat Bhushan
School of health care and Allied Sciences 1
Skeletal System
Functions of bone
• Bones are composed of about 50% water and 50% a solid,
calcified, rigid substance known as osseous tissue.
• Following are its functions:
1. Bones provide shape, support and the framework of the
body.
2. Bones protect internal organs.
3. Bones serve as a storage place for minerals such as
salts, calcium and phosphorus.
4. Bones play an important role in hematopoiesis the
formation of blood cells that takes place in bone
marrow.
5. Bones provide a place to attach muscles.
6. Bones make movement possible through articulation
(manner in which the parts come together at a joint).
5/30/2023 School of Healthcare and Allied Science 3
Skeletal System
• The Skeletal system is composed
of 206 bones that, along with
cartilage, tendons, and ligaments,
make up the framework or
skeleton of the body.
Skeletal System
Skeletal System has two divisions:
• Axial skeleton consisting of skull, vertebral column (80 Bones)
• Appendicular skeleton consisting of limbs and girdle (126 Bones)
Divisions of the Skeletal System
Axial Skeleton
Axial means around the axis. It supports and protects
organs of head, neck and trunk. It consists of -
• Skull
• Hyoid Bone
• Vertebral Column
• Bony Thorax
Appendicular Skeleton
Appendicular means attached to something large. It includes bones of
limbs and bones that anchor them to the axial skeleton. They are-
• Pectoral girdle (clavicle, scapula)
• Upper limbs (arms)
• Pelvic girdle (sacrum, coccyx)
• Lower limbs (legs)
Articulation- where joints meet, connect, and are formed
Lets study Axial Skeleton
First (80 Bones)
The Axial Skeleton
Forms the longitudinal part of the body.
Divided into three parts-
• Skull
• Vertebral Column
• Rib Cage
The Skull (22 Bones)
Skull bones are divided into-
• Cranial Bones (8 Bones)
• Facial Bones (14 Bones)
Cranial Bones
• Parietal bone (2)
• Temporal bone (2)
• Frontal bone
• Occipital bone
• Sphenoid bone
• Ethmoid bone
Facial Bones
• 2 Maxillae
• 2 Zygomatic bones
• 2 Lacrimal bones
• 2 Nasal bones
• 2 Inferior nasal conchae
• 2 Palatine bones
• 1 vomer
• 1 mandible
Hyoid Bone (1 Bone)
• Hyoid bone is also known as lingual bone.
• It is a horse-shoe shaped bone.
• Situated in the anterior midline of the neck between
the chin and the thyroid cartilage.
Auditory Ossicles (6 Bones)
• Auditory ossicles are the three smallest bones in the
human body.
• The term "ossicles" literally means "tiny bones" and
commonly refers to the auditory ossicles, though the term
may refer to any small bone throughout the body.
Vertebral Column (26 Bones)
Functions
• Axial support for the body and balance
• Protect spinal cord
• Flexible motion
Cervical Vertebrae
• 7 in number
• Identified as C1-C7
• First 2 are called atlas and axis because they perform
different functions
Cervical Region
• Neck region
• Protects the brain stem and the spinal cord
• Supports the skull
• Very mobile
- Responsible for movement of head
- Allows wide range of movement
Thoracic Vertebrae
• Larger than cervical vertebrae
• Articulate to ribs
• T1-T12
Lumbar Vertebrae
• L1-L5
• Massive block-like bodies
• Short-hatchet shaped spinous process
Lumbar Region
• Lower back
• Larger range of motion than the thoracic, less than the
cervical
• Joints allow for significant flexion and extension
movement but limits rotation
• Have massive block like bodies
• Short hatchet shaped spinous processes
• Because they have the most stress, they are sturdiest
Sacrum
• Fusion of 5 vertebrae
• Forms pelvic posterior wall
• Superior to coccyx
• It is between the two hip bones connecting the
spine to the pelvis
• Ends the vertebral canal
Coccyx
• Tailbone
• Fusion of 3-5 irregular vertebrae
• Remnant of the tail that other vertebrae
animals have
Intervertebral Discs
• Pads of flexible fibrocartilage which separate
individual vertebrae
• Cushion vertebrae, absorb shocks, allow for spine
flexibility
Sternum (1 Bone)
• Sternum is also known as breastbone.
• It is a flat bone that lies in the middle front part of
the rib cage.
Ribs (24 Bones)
• True ribs are directly attached to the sternum (first
seven pairs)
• Three false ribs are joined to the 7th rib
• Two pairs of floating ribs
Lets study Appendicular
Skeleton
(126 Bones)
The Appendicular Skeleton
• 2 pairs of limbs and 2 girdles
• Pectoral (shoulder) girdle attaches upper limbs
• Pelvic (hip) girdle secures lower limbs
• 3-Segmented limbs
- Upper Limb
1. Arm
2. Forearm
3. Hand
- Lower Limb
4. Thigh
5. Leg
6. Foot
Upper Extremity
• Arm or Brachium = upper arm
- Between shoulder and elbow
(humerus)
• Forearm or Antebrachium
- Radius & ulna
• Hand includes:
- Wrist (carpus)
- Palm (metacarpus)
- Fingers (phalanges)
Pectoral Girdle (Shoulder Girdle)
Clavicle
• Lies anteriorly
• Also known as collar bone
• Sternal end attaches to the manubrium medially
• Acromial end articulates with the scapula laterally
Scapula
• Situated posteriorly
• Also known as shoulder blade
Scapula
• Triangular
• Paired
• Not connected at back (adds thoracic
flexibility)
Arm
• Humerus is the only bone
• Head of humerus fits into glenoid cavity
of scapula
• Distal & medially, trochlea articulates
with the ulna
• Distal & laterally capitulum articulates
with the radius
Forearm
• 2 bones: articulate with each other
proximally and distally
• Interosseous membrane between them
• Ulna
- Olecranon hinges with the humerus
forming elbow
- Styloid process distally
• Radius
- Contributes to wrist joint
- Styloid process anchors a ligament to
wrist (thumb side)
Hand
• Proximal is “wrist” – 8 carpal bones
• Palm of hand - 5 metacarpals
• Fingers consist of miniature long bones called phalanges:
thumb has 2; fingers have 3: proximal, middle, distal
Pelvic Girdle
• Strongly attached to axial skeleton (sacrum)
• Deep sockets
• More stable than pectoral (shoulder) girdle
• Less freedom of movement
• Made up of the paired hip bones
• Bony pelvis is basin-like structure: hip bones plus the axial sacrum and coccyx
Hip bone
Three separate bones in childhood which fuse. They are:
1. Ilium
2. Ischium
3. Pubis
The male and female pelvis…
The pelvis is the lower portion of the trunk of the body. The hip bones, sacrum, and coccyx
form the pelvic basin. Hip bones include the ilium, pubis and ischium.
Male Female
The male pelvis is shaped like a funnel and is heavier and stronger than the female. The
female pelvis is oval to round, and wider than the male.
Lower limb
• Thigh
- Femur
• Leg (lower leg)
- Tibia
- Fibula
• Foot
Thigh
• Femur is largest, longest and strongest bone in the body
• Head fits in socket (acetabulum) of pelvis
• Neck is weakest
• Greater trochanter
• Distal: lateral & medial condyles and epicondyles
• Patella: sesmoid bone
Leg
• Tibia
- Also called shin bone
- Medial and lateral condyles
- Tibial tuberosity
- Distal medial malleolus (medial ankle)
• Fibula
- Distal lateral malleolus (lateral ankle)
- Interosseous membrane
Foot
Tarsus: 7 tarsal bones
• Talus, Calcaneum (heel bone), Cuboid, Navicular,
and 3 Cunieforms (medial, intermediate and
lateral)
• 5 metatarsals
• 14 phalanges
Classifications of bones by shape
1. LONG bones include the femur (thigh), tibia
(larger shin), fibula (smaller shin bone),
humerus (upper arm), radius (larger forearm),
and ulna (smaller forearm).
2. SHORT bones include the carpals of the wrist
and tarsals of the ankle.
3. FLAT bones include the skull, sternum
(breastbone), and scapula (shoulder bone).
4. IRREGULAR bones include the vertebrae
(spine) and pelvic.
Bone structure
• Epiphysis - Growing end
• Diaphysis – Shaft
• Periosteum - Outside covering
• Medullary - Inner space containing bone marrow
• Endosteum - Lining of medullary cavity
Joints
• A joint is a place where two or more bones connect.
The manner in which they connect determines the
type of movement allowed at that joint.
1. A synarthrosis is a joint that allows no movement.
An example would be a cranial suture.
2. An amphiarthrosis is a joint that allows slight
movement. An example would be a vertebra.
3. A diarthrosis is a joint that allows free movement in
a variety of directions, such as knee, hip, elbow,
wrist, and foot.
Types of Movable Joints
Six types of freely movable joint:
• Ball and socket joint
• Saddle joint
• Hinge joint
• Condyloid joint
• Pivot joint
• Gliding joint
Types of Movable Joints
Ball and socket joint:
the rounded head of one bone sits within the
cup of another, such as the hip joint or
shoulder joint. Movement in all directions is
allowed
Types of Movable Joints
Saddle joint:
This permits movement back and forth and
from side to side, but does not allow rotation,
such as the joint at the base of the thumb.
Types of Movable Joints
Hinge joint:
the two bones open and close in one direction
only (along one plane) like a door, such as the
knee and elbow joints
Types of Movable Joints
Condyloid joint:
• This permits movement without rotation,
such as in the jaw or finger joints.
Types of Movable Joints
Pivot joint:
• one bone swivels around the ring formed
by another bone, such as the joint between
the first and second vertebrae in the neck
Types of Movable Joints
Gliding joint:
• Also known as plane joint. Smooth surfaces
slip over one another, allowing limited
movement, such as the wrist joints.
Bone Marrow
• Bone marrow is the flexible tissue in the
interior of bones.
• In humans, red blood cells are produced
in the heads of long bones in a process
known as hematopoesis.
Bone Marrow
• The two types of bone marrow are red
marrow and yellow marrow.
• Red bone marrow produces blood cells, is
active and divides cells.
• Yellow bone marrow is the producer of
blood cells during an emergency, is inactive
and contains fat.
Reference
• Atlas of Human Anatomy, Professional Edition, 7th Edition.
• Ross & Wilson Anatomy and Physiology in Health and Illness, 13th
Edition.
• Clinical Anatomy: Applied Anatomy for Students and Junior Doctors,
14th Edition.
• LL Human Physiology, 15th Edition.
School of health care and Allied Sciences 54
Thank You
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