Source: Chapter 7 Bones Worksheet, University of Florida A&P
Difficulty: Introductory–Intermediate | Prerequisites: Axial skeleton notes (Part 1 of this set), basic directional terms (proximal, distal, medial, lateral)
Tags: appendicular skeleton, upper limb, lower limb, pectoral girdle, pelvic girdle, clavicle, scapula, humerus, radius, ulna, carpals, metacarpals, phalanges, femur, patella, tibia, fibula, tarsals, metatarsals, coxal bone, pelvis, skeletal system, Chapter 7
The appendicular skeleton is everything that is not the axial core: the limbs and the girdles that attach them to the trunk. It contains 126 of the body's 206 bones. This set of notes covers the pectoral (shoulder) girdle, the upper limbs, the pelvic girdle, and the lower limbs. If you have not reviewed the axial skeleton notes first, do that, because the girdles are the bridge between the two divisions and examiners test that boundary. Knowing these bones cold is necessary for the joints, muscles, and clinical anatomy that follow.
The appendicular skeleton includes the shoulder girdle (clavicle, scapula), the arm and hand bones (humerus, radius, ulna, carpals, metacarpals, phalanges), the pelvic girdle (coxal bones: ilium, ischium, pubis), and the leg and foot bones (femur, patella, tibia, fibula, tarsals, metatarsals, phalanges). Learning the name and position of each bone from both the anterior and posterior views is the primary task for this section.
Appendicular skeleton
The 126 bones of the limbs and the girdles (pectoral and pelvic) that attach them to the axial skeleton. Think of it as everything you would lose if you removed the arms, legs, shoulders, and hips.
Clavicle (collarbone)
A slender, S-shaped bone that runs horizontally across the superior thorax, connecting the sternum to the scapula. In simple terms, it is the collarbone you can feel just below your neck on each side.
Scapula (shoulder blade)
A flat, triangular bone on the posterior thorax that forms the back of the shoulder girdle. You can feel it shift when you move your arm. Visible primarily from the posterior view.
Humerus
The single long bone of the upper arm (brachium), extending from the shoulder to the elbow. Think of it as the arm bone between the shoulder and the funny bone.
Radius
The lateral bone of the forearm (on the thumb side when the palm faces forward). In simple terms, "radius" and "thumb" both lean to the outside.
Ulna
The medial bone of the forearm (on the little-finger side). The olecranon process of the ulna is the bony point of your elbow.
Carpals
Eight small, roughly cube-shaped bones arranged in two rows at the wrist. In simple terms, these are your wrist bones.
Metacarpals
Five miniature long bones forming the framework of the palm. Each is numbered I–V from the thumb side.
Phalanges (hand)
The fourteen finger bones: two in the thumb (proximal and distal), three in each of the other four fingers (proximal, middle, distal). In simple terms, every segment of every finger is one phalanx.
Coxal bone (hip bone, os coxa)
Each hip bone is a single bone formed by the fusion of three bones during adolescence: the ilium, the ischium, and the pubis. Together, the two coxal bones plus the sacrum form the bony pelvis.
Ilium
The large, fan-shaped superior portion of the coxal bone. The iliac crest is the ridge you rest your hands on when you put your hands on your hips.
Ischium
The posterior, inferior portion of the coxal bone. In simple terms, you sit on your ischial tuberosities, your "sit bones."
Pubis
The anterior, inferior portion of the coxal bone. The two pubic bones meet at the midline at the pubic symphysis.
Femur (thighbone)
The longest, strongest bone in the body, running from the hip to the knee. Think of it as the single bone of the thigh.
Patella (kneecap)
A small, flat, triangular sesamoid bone embedded in the tendon of the quadriceps muscle, sitting anterior to the knee joint. It protects the knee and improves the leverage of the thigh muscles.
Tibia (shinbone)
The larger, medial bone of the lower leg, bearing most of the body's weight between the knee and the ankle. You can feel it as the sharp ridge running down the front of your shin.
Fibula
The slender, lateral bone of the lower leg. It bears very little weight but serves as an important attachment point for muscles. A helpful mnemonic: the fibula is the "thin" one, and both words contain the letter "i."
Tarsals
Seven bones forming the ankle and posterior foot (including the calcaneus, or heel bone, and the talus). In simple terms, these are the ankle bones, analogous to the carpals at the wrist.
Metatarsals
Five miniature long bones forming the framework of the midfoot, analogous to the metacarpals in the hand. Numbered I–V from the big-toe side.
Phalanges (foot)
The fourteen toe bones, following the same pattern as the hand: two in the big toe, three in each of the other four toes.
Composed of two bones on each side: the clavicle (anterior) and the scapula (posterior).
The clavicle is visible on the anterior diagram, running from the sternum laterally toward the shoulder. It is the most frequently fractured bone in the body, often from falls onto an outstretched hand.
The scapula is best seen from the posterior view, sitting over ribs 2–7. Its spine and acromion process are key landmarks.
The pectoral girdle is relatively loosely attached to the axial skeleton (only at the sternoclavicular joint), which allows a wide range of shoulder movement at the cost of stability.
Humerus: the single bone of the arm (anatomically, "arm" means the region from shoulder to elbow, not the whole upper limb).
Radius and ulna: the two bones of the forearm.
In anatomical position (palms facing forward), the radius is lateral (thumb side) and the ulna is medial (pinky side).
When you rotate your forearm to turn your palm down (pronation), the radius crosses over the ulna.
Carpals (8): arranged in two rows at the wrist. A common mnemonic exists, but the exam typically only requires you to identify them as a group.
Metacarpals (5): the palm bones, numbered I–V starting at the thumb.
Phalanges (14 per hand): the finger bones. The thumb has two; each remaining finger has three.
On the anterior diagram, these bones are labelled on the right side of the body in order: clavicle (17), humerus (19), radius (21), ulna (22), carpals (23), metacarpals (24).
Formed by the two coxal (hip) bones, each made of three fused bones:
Ilium (superior, the broad wing)
Ischium (posterior-inferior, the "sit bone")
Pubis (anterior-inferior)
The two coxal bones articulate with each other anteriorly at the pubic symphysis and with the sacrum posteriorly at the sacroiliac joints.
Together with the sacrum and coccyx, they form the bony pelvis.
On the anterior worksheet diagram, the coxal bone is labelled (8), ischium (11), and pubis (13). They are parts of the same hip bone, not three separate bones.
Femur: the single bone of the thigh, the body's longest bone. Its head fits into the acetabulum of the coxal bone to form the hip joint.
Patella: the kneecap, located anterior to the knee. It is a sesamoid bone (formed within a tendon).
Tibia and fibula: the two bones of the leg (anatomically, "leg" means knee to ankle).
The tibia is medial, larger, and weight-bearing.
The fibula is lateral, thinner, and primarily for muscle attachment.
A useful parallel: the upper-limb pair radius/ulna mirrors the lower-limb pair tibia/fibula, except the weight-bearing bone is medial in the leg (tibia) and lateral in the forearm (radius, sort of, though both forearm bones share load).
Tarsals (7): the ankle bones. The calcaneus (heel bone) and talus are the two largest and most commonly tested.
Metatarsals (5): the midfoot bones, numbered I–V from the big toe.
Phalanges (14 per foot): the toe bones. Same pattern as the hand.
On the anterior diagram: femur (25), patella (26), tibia (27), fibula (28), tarsals (29).
The clavicle is visible from the anterior view. The scapula dominates the posterior view.
Long bones of the limbs appear in both views, but pay attention to which surface faces you. From the posterior view, the olecranon process of the ulna is prominent at the elbow.
The patella is an anterior-only structure; it will not appear on a posterior diagram.
From the posterior view, you can see the greater trochanter of the femur laterally, and the calcaneus (heel) is prominent at the foot.
No mathematical formulas. The key diagram is the anterior and posterior skeleton labelling exercise from the worksheet. Practise labelling from memory on a blank diagram until you can do both views without prompts.
Bone counts to memorise:
Carpals: 8 per hand
Metacarpals: 5 per hand
Phalanges (hand): 14 per hand (2 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3)
Tarsals: 7 per foot
Metatarsals: 5 per foot
Phalanges (foot): 14 per foot
Clavicle fractures are extremely common in contact sports and cycling accidents, which is why understanding where the clavicle sits and what it connects is clinically relevant. Hip fractures in elderly patients almost always involve the femoral neck (just below the head of the femur), and they are a leading cause of reduced mobility in older adults. Understanding tibia vs. fibula matters because a fibula fracture alone may still allow partial weight bearing, while a tibia fracture typically does not.
Students frequently mix up the radius and ulna. In anatomical position, the radius is lateral (thumb side). One way to remember: you "rotate" your radius when you turn your palm.
The coxal bone is one bone, not three. The ilium, ischium, and pubis fuse during adolescence. Exam questions may name any of the three to test whether you know they are all parts of the hip bone.
Students confuse the tibia and fibula. The tibia is the larger, medial, weight-bearing bone. The fibula is the thin lateral one. They are not interchangeable.
The patella is a sesamoid bone, not a typical long bone. Students sometimes forget it exists when listing lower-limb bones.
⚠️ Be able to label every appendicular bone from both anterior and posterior views. Practical exams will give you an unlabelled diagram or a real/model bone and ask you to identify it.
⚠️ Know the three components of the coxal bone (ilium, ischium, pubis) and be able to distinguish them on a diagram.
⚠️ Distinguish radius from ulna by position: radius is lateral, ulna is medial, in anatomical position.
⚠️ Know the parallel structure of the upper and lower limbs: one bone proximal (humerus / femur), two bones in the middle segment (radius + ulna / tibia + fibula), small bones at the wrist or ankle (8 carpals / 7 tarsals), miniature long bones in the palm or midfoot (5 metacarpals / 5 metatarsals), and phalanges in the digits (14 each).
⚠️ The patella is commonly asked about because it is a sesamoid bone, a distinct bone type that students overlook.
True or false: The scapula is best seen from the anterior view. ___
Fill in the blank: In anatomical position, the radius is on the ___ (medial / lateral) side of the forearm.
How many carpal bones are in each wrist? ___
True or false: The fibula is the main weight-bearing bone of the lower leg. ___
Name the three fused bones that form the coxal bone: ___, ___, ___.
Answers: 1. False (posterior view). 2. Lateral. 3. Eight. 4. False (the tibia bears most of the weight). 5. Ilium, ischium, pubis.
Q: A patient presents with a fracture of the lateral bone of the forearm. Which bone is fractured?
A: The radius. In anatomical position, the radius is the lateral forearm bone (thumb side).
Q: List the bones of the lower limb from proximal to distal.
A: Femur, patella, tibia and fibula, tarsals (7), metatarsals (5), phalanges (14).
Q: Why is the pectoral girdle more mobile but less stable than the pelvic girdle?
A: The pectoral girdle attaches to the axial skeleton at only one joint (the sternoclavicular joint) and relies heavily on muscles for support. The pelvic girdle is firmly bound to the sacrum at the sacroiliac joints and reinforced by strong ligaments, sacrificing mobility for stability and weight bearing.
Q: Which bone of the body is the longest, and where is it located?
A: The femur (thighbone), located in the upper leg between the hip and the knee.
Q: On a posterior view of the skeleton, you see a large, flat, triangular bone overlying the upper ribs. What is it?
A: The scapula (shoulder blade).
This material feeds directly into the study of joints (Chapter 8 or 9, depending on your textbook), where you will learn how these bones articulate, for example the ball-and-socket joint at the shoulder (humerus and scapula) and hip (femur and coxal bone). Muscle chapters rely heavily on knowing bone landmarks for origin and insertion points: the deltoid tuberosity of the humerus, the tibial tuberosity, the iliac crest, and many others. If you plan to study clinical anatomy or kinesiology, the appendicular skeleton is the structural foundation of every movement the body makes.
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