THE SKELETAL SYSTEM
Lab Objectives
Students should be able to:
1. Recognize bones and bone markings for the axial and appendicular skeleton
2. Recognize bones disarticulated and/or articulated
3. Identify which bones articulate with one another
Remember: Lab is considered a self-directed learning experience! Use
your textbook, lab book, and atlas to identify all the bones and bone
markings. If you have questions, then please feel free to ask the instructor.
I. Bone Surface Markings (Divided into depressions and Processes or Projections)
i.
Depressions: (Openings allowing blood vessels and nerves to pass)
1. Fissure - narrow, slit-like opening
2. Foramen - round or oval opening through the bone
3. Fossa - shallow and may serve as an articular surface
4. Sulcus/meatus/canal - canal-like passageway
5. Groove - furrow
ii.
Processes: (Site of muscle and ligament attachment)
1. Tuberosity - large rounded projection
2. Crest - narrow ridge of bone
3. Trochanter - very large, blunt, irregulary shaped process
4. Line - narrow ridges of bone; less prominent than crest
5. Tubercle - small rounded projection
6. Epicondyle - raised area above a condyle
7. Spine - sharp, slender, often pointed
iii.
Processes: (Forms joints)
1. Head - bony expansion carried on a narrow neck
2. Facet - smooth and nearly flat articular surface
3. Condyle - rounded articular projection
4.
Ramus – arm-like bar of a bone
II. Axial Skeleton (Skull, Thoracic Cage, and Vertebral Column)
1. Skull
a. Cranial bones: Frontal, Parietal, Temporal, Occipital, Ethmoid, and
Sphenoid
b. Facial bones: nasal, zygomatic, maxilla, palatine, lacrimal, inferior concha,
vomer and mandible
c. Auditory Ossicles: malleus, incus, and stapes
d. Hyoid
e. Cranial bone markings:
i. Frontal bone markings:
1. Frontal sinus
2. Supra-orbital margin (ridge)
3. Supra-orbital foramen (may look like a notch)
4. Coronal suture (between frontal and anterior border of
parietals)
5. Glabella
ii. Parietal bone markings:
1. Sagittal suture (between the two parietals)
2. Lambdoid suture (between posterior parietals and occipital
bone)
3. Squamous suture (between parietals and squamous of
temporal)
iii. Occipital bone markings:
1. Occipital condyles
2. Foramen magnum
3. Superior and inferior nuchal lines
4. External occipital protuberance
iv. Temporal bone markings:
1. External acoustic (auditory) meatus
2. Mastoid process
3. Styloid process
4. Petrous portion
5. Zygomatic process
6. Jugular foramen
7. Carotid canal
8. Internal acoustic meatus
9. Foramen lacerum
v. Sphenoid bone makings
1. Greater and lesser wings
2. Sphenoid sinus
3. Pterygoid processes
4. Sella turcica (which houses the pituitary gland)
5. optic canal
6. foramen ovale
7. superior orbital fissure
vi. Ethmoid
1. Perpendicular plate
2. Crista galli
3. Cribriform (horizontal) plate
4. Ethmoid sinus
5. Middle nasal concha
6. Superior nasal concha (visible only on sagittal head model)
f. Facial bone markings:
i. Nasal bones (with internasal suture)
ii. Lacrimal bones (with nasolacrimal suture)
iii. Zygomatic bones
1. Orbital process
2. Temporal process
3. Maxillary process
iv. Maxilla
1. Alveolar margin
2. Infra-orbital foramen
3. Palatine processes
4. Inferior orbital fissure
5. Maxillary sinus
v. Palatine bones
vi. Mandible
1. Ramus
2. mandibular condyle
3. mandibular angle
4. body
5. coronoid process
6. alveolar margin
7. mental foramen
vii. Vomer
viii. Inferior nasal concha
g. Auditory ossicles
h. Hyoid bone
2. Thoracic Cage
a. Ribs (True, false, and floating ribs)
i. Head
ii. Shaft
iii. Tubercle
b. Sternum
i. Manubrium
ii. Notch
iii. Sternal angle
iv. Body
v. Xiphoid process
vi. Clavicular notch
3. Vertebral Column
a. Vertebrae: for each vertebrae be able to identify the following structures:
lamina, pedicles, centrum (body), spinous process, superior and inferior
articulating processes, transverse process, vertebral foramen, and
intervertebral foramen.
i. Cervical (7) have transverse foramina and first two are unique: C1
= atlas and C2 = axis with odontoid process (Dens)
ii. Thoracic (12) have costal facets on the centrum (body)
iii. Lumbar (5) do not have transverse foramina nor costal facets
b. Sacrum: (5) fused bones to form the sacrum
i. Sacral canal (not apparent on plastic models)
ii. Sacroiliac joint (only observable on articulated models)
iii. Sacral foramen
iv. Median sacral crest
v. Sacral hiatus (only visible on real skeletons)
vi. Sacral promontory
vii. Apex
viii. Ala
c. Coccyx: (1-4) fused bones
II. APPENDICULAR SKELETON (Pectoral Girdle, Arms, Pelvic Girdle, and Legs)
1. Pectoral Girdle
a. Scapula
i. Coracoid process
ii. Acromion process
iii. Spine
iv. Supraspinous fossa
v. Infraspinous fossa
vi. Glenoid cavity (fossa)
vii. Subscapular fossa
viii. Suprascapular notch
ix. Vertebral (medial) border
x. Axillary (lateral) border
xi. Inferior angle
xii. Superior angle
xiii. Lateral angle
b. Clavicle
i. Acromial end
ii. Sternal end
2. Bones of upper extremity: arm and forearm (humerus, radius, ulna, carpals,
metacarpals, and phalanges)
a. Humerus
i. Head of humerus
ii. Neck of humerus: surgical and anatomical
iii. Greater and lesser tubercles (tuberosities)
iv. Iintertubercular sulcus (groove)
v. Deltoid tuberosity
vi. Medial and lateral epicondyles
vii. Trochlea
viii. Capitulum
ix. Olecranon fossa
x. Coronoid fossa
b. Radius
i. Head of radius
ii. Neck of radius
iii. Radial shaft
iv. Styloid process
v. Ulnar notch
vi. Radial tuberosity
c. Ulna
i. Olecranon process
ii. Trochlear notch
iii. Radial notch
iv. Coronoid process
v. Head of ulna
vi. Styloid process
d. Carpals
i. Pisiform
ii. Triquetral
iii. Lunate
iv. Hamate
v. Trapezium
vi. Trapezoid
vii. Scaphoid
viii. Capitate
e. Metacarpals
f. Phalanges
i. Proximal
ii. Middle (not present in the pollex)
iii. Distal
3. Pelvic girdle (coxal bones = os coxae)
a. Ilium
i. Iliac crest
ii. Anterior superior and inferior iliac spine (ASIS/AIIS)
iii. Posterior superior and inferior iliac spine (PSIS/PIIS)
iv. Iliac fossa
v. Sacroiliac joint (only present in articulated skeleton)
vi. Greater sciatic notch
b. Ischium
i. ischial spine
ii. lesser sciatic notch
iii. ischial tuberosity
c. Pubis
i. Pubic rami (superior and inferior)
ii. Pubic symphysis
iii. Acetabulum (acetabular fossa)
iv. Obturator foramen
4. Bones of thigh and leg
a. Femur
i. Head of Femur
ii. Fovea capitis
iii. Neck of Femur
iv. Greater and lesser trochanter
v. Gluteal tuberosity
vi. Shaft of Femur
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
vii. Linea aspera
viii. Medial and lateral epicondyles
ix. Medial and lateral condyles
x. Intercondylar fossa
xi. Patellar surface
Tibia
i. Tibial condyles (lateral and medial)
ii. Intercondylar eminence
iii. Medial malleolus
iv. Shaft of Tibia
v. Tibial tuberosity
Fibula
i. Head of Fibula
ii. Fibula shaft
iii. Lateral malleolus
Patella
Tarsals
i. Talus
ii. Calcaneus
iii. Navicular
iv. Medial cuneiform
v. Intermediate cuneiform
vi. lateral cuneiform
vii. cuboid
Metatarsals
Phalanges
i. Proximal
ii. Middle (not present in the hallux)
iii. Distal