KESHLATA COLLEGE OF

NURSING
SKELETAL SYSTEM
MRS. SUMAN BISHT
NURSING TUTOR
KCON, BAREILLY
 INTRODUCTION
The human skeleton is the internal framework
of the human body. It is composed of around
270-300 bones at birth – this total decreases to
around 206 bones by adulthood after some bones
get fused together. The bone mass in the skeleton
makes up about 14% of the total body weight.
•The human skeleton also includes ligaments, tendons and
cartilage (strong flexible connective tissue).
•Ligaments are bands of dense and fibrous connective
tissue. It connect bone to bone.
•Tendons connect bone to muscles.
•Cartilage is more flexible than bone but stiffer than
muscle. Cartilage helps give structure.
 FUNCTION OF BONES
The skeleton serves six major functions:
Support
•The skeleton provides the framework which
supports the body and maintains its shape. The
pelvis, associated ligaments and muscles provide a
floor for the pelvic structures.
Movement
•The joints between bones allow
movement. Movement is powered by
skeletal muscles, which are attached to the
skeleton at various sites on bones.
Muscles, bones, and joints provide the
principal mechanics for movement, all
coordinated by the nervous system.
Protection

•The skeleton helps to protect many vital internal

organs from being damaged.
•The skull protects the brain
•The vertebrae protect the spinal cord.
•The rib cage, spine, and sternum protect the lungs,
heart and major blood vessels.
Blood cell production
•The skeleton is the site of
haematopoiesis, the development of
blood cells that takes place in the
bone marrow.
Storage
•The bone matrix can store calcium.
•Bone marrow can store iron. However, bones
are not entirely made of calcium, but a mixture
of calcium, oxygen, phosphorus, hydrogen and
carbon.
Endocrine regulation
•Bone cells release a hormone called
osteocalcin, which contributes to the
regulation of blood sugar (glucose)
and fat deposition..
 TYPES OF BONES
There are five types of bones in the skeleton: flat, long,
short, irregular, and sesamoid.
 Flat bones
• The function of flat bones is to protect internal organs such
as the brain, heart, and pelvic organs.
• Flat bones are somewhat flattened, and can provide
protection, like a shield; flat bones can also provide large
areas of attachment for muscles.
• There are flat bones in the skull (occipital, parietal, frontal,
nasal, lacrimal, and vomer), the thoracic cage (sternum and
ribs), and the pelvis (ilium, ischium, and pubis).
 Long bones
•The long bones, longer than they are wide, include
the femur (the longest bone in the body).
• Long bones function to support the weight of the
body and facilitate movement. It include bones in
the lower limbs (the tibia, fibula, femur) and bones
in the upper limbs (the humerus, radius, ulna).
 Short bones
•Short bones are about as long as they are wide.
Located in the wrist and ankle joints, short
bones provide stability and some movement.
•The carpals in the wrist and the tarsals in the
ankles are examples of short bones.
•Irregular bones

•They vary in shape and structure.

•They often have a fairly complex shape,
which helps to protect internal organs.
•For example, the vertebrae, irregular
bones of the vertebral column, protect the
spinal cord.
 Sesamoid bones
•These are small, round bone.
•Sesamoid bone- so named because of their
resemblance to a sesame seed.
•Sesamoid bones function to protect tendons
from stress.
•The patella, commonly referred to as the
kneecap, is an example of a sesamoid bone.
STRUCTUTE
OF
LONG BONE
STRUCTURE OF LONG BONE CONSIST OF-

•Diaphysis
•Epiphysis
•Metaphysis
•Articular Cartilage
•Periosteum
•Medullary Cavity
•Endosteum
 LONG BONE STRUCTURE
A typical long bone consists of the following
parts:
•The diaphysis is the shaft of a long bone — the
long, cylindrical, main portion of the bone.
•It contains primary ossification centre, changing
cartilage to bone.
•The epiphyses are the proximal and distal ends
of the bone.
•This portion of bone is only found on the ends
of long bone.
•The epiphysis, are wider section at each end,
filled with spongy bone and red marrow.
•Metaphysis

•The metaphyses are the regions between the

diaphysis and the epiphyses.
•The wide portion of long bone and the regions of
the bone where growth occurs.
•Growth occur at the section of metaphysis.
•The articular cartilage
•It is a thin layer of hyaline
cartilage(translucent bluish-white type of
cartilage) covering the part of the
epiphysis where the bone forms an
articulation (joint) with another bone.
•Articular cartilage reduces friction and
absorbs shock.
•The periosteum is a tough connective tissue sheath
•It is composed of an outer fibrous layer of dense
irregular connective tissue and an inner layer that
consists of cells.
•The periosteum protects the bone, assists in fracture
repair, helps nourish bone tissue, and serves as an
attachment point for ligaments and tendons.
The medullary cavity or marrow cavity
•It is a hollow, cylindrical space within the diaphysis
that contains fatty yellow bone marrow and
numerous blood vessels.
•In the long bones tubular design provides maximum
strength with minimum weight.
•The endosteum is a thin membrane
that lines the medullary cavity.
•It contains a single layer of bone-
forming cells and a small amount of
connective tissue.
 PROCESS OF
BONE
FORMATION/
OSSIFICATION
 BONE CELLS
• Osteoblast- bone forming cells, that helps in formation and growth
of bones and heals existing bones
• Osteoclast- these cells are responsible for breaking down and
removing old or damaged bone cells or tissues
• Osteocytes – mature bone cells. They maintain bone health and
regulate the activity of osteoblast and osteoclast.
• Osteogenic cells – they are found in inner portion of periosteum
contain blood vessels.
 What is Ossification?

Ossification is also known as osteogenesis.

•It is the process of creating bone, that is of
transforming cartilage into bones.
•Ossification starts six or seven weeks after
fertilization in a human embryo and continues
until about age twenty five.
There are two process for bone
formation-
•Intramembraneous ossification
•Endocondrial ossification
 Intramembranous Ossification Steps
•The intramembranous ossification process
occurs in four stages.
•All bones develop from mesenchymal
cells(important for making & repairing skeletal cell) of embryo.
•Bones such as the skull, the clavicles, and the
pelvis are formed through intramembranous
ossification.
 INTRAMEBRANEOUS OSSIFIATION
Development of ossification center- osteoblast secrete
extracellular matrix (Protein and other molecules that
give structure to cells and tissues)

Calcification – calcium and other mineral salts are deposited

and extracellular matrix calcifies (hardens)

Formation of tuberculae (spongy and porous material)-

extracellular matrix develops in tuberculae that fuse to
form spongy bone.
Development of periosteum – mesemchyme (loosely
connective tissues) at the periphery of bone develop into
periosteum.
ENDOCHONDRAL OSSIFICATION-
• The replacement of the cartilage by the bone is called
endochondral ossification.
• The growth and ossification of the bone occur in 6 steps-
Step I-
Chondrocytes (Chondrocytes are specialized types of cells that are responsible for making cartilage)
in the center of growing cartilage-
• Enlarge
• Forms struts and calcify
• Die , leaving cavities in cartilage
STEP II-
• Blood vessels grow around the edges of the cartilage
• Newly formed osteoblast- producing a layer of superficial bone around
the shaft which will continue to grow and become compact bone.

STEP –III
• Blood vessels enter the cartilage
• spongy bone develops at the primary ossification center

STEP –IV
• Remodeling creates a marrow cavity
• Bone replaces cartilage at the metaphysis
• STEP – V
• Capillaries and osteoblast enters the epiphysis
• Creating secondary ossification center

• STEP –VI
• Epiphysis fills with spongy bone
• Cartilage within the joint cavity is articulating cartilage
• Cartilage at the metaphysis is epiphyseal cartilage
• The main difference between endochondral ossification and
intramembranous ossification is that the endochondral
ossification is the method of forming a bone through a
cartilage while the intramembranous ossification directly
forms the bone on the mesenchyme.
• Furthermore, endochondral ossification is involved in the
formation of long bones while intramembranous ossification
is involved in the formation of flat bones.
DIVISION OF
SKELETAL
SYSTEM
The skeletal system is
divided into 2 main types-
•Axial skeleton
•Appendicular skeleton
 HUMAN SKELETON
206 BONES
AXIAL SKELETON APPENDICULAR SKELETON
80 BONES 126 BONES
SKULL -29 SHOULDER GIRDLE
08 CRANIUM BONES
04 BONES
14 FACIAL BONES
06 AUDITORY OSSICLES
01 HYOID BONE UPPER LIMBS
60 BONES
THORACIC CAGE- 25
12 PAIR RIBS PELVIC GIRDLE
01 STERNUM
02 BONES

VERTEBRAL COLUMN LOWER LIMBS

26 BONES 60 BONES
 AXIAL
SKELETON
80 BONES
SKULL
•Rests on the upper end of the vertebral column
•It consists of :
Cranial bones(8)
Facial bones(14)
Auditory ossicles (6)
Hyoid bone (1)
•The cranial bones includes:
•1 -Frontal Bone
•2 -Parietal Bones
•2 -Temporal Bones
•1 -Occipital Bone
•1 -Sphenoid Bone
•1 -Ethmoid Bone
Frontal bone
• This is the bone of forehead
•Forms the part of the orbital cavities(eye sockets)
and prominent ridges above the eyes.
Function-
•Protect the brain
•Support skull
•Attaches facial muscles
Parietal bones:
• Forms the sides and the roof of the skull.
•Inner surface is concave and accommodates the
brain and the blood vessels.

Function –
•Provides structure to head.
•Protection
•Articulating with other skull bones
Temporal bones:
•These bones lie on each side of the head and form the
sutures with the parietal, occipital, sphenoid and
zygomatic bones.

Function –
•Protects brain and ear
•Forms the skull
•Houses the inner ear
•Protect nerves and structure in ear
Occipital bone
• Forms the back of the head and part of the base of the skull
• foramen magnum - large opening in base through which spinal
cord passes.

Function –
• Protecting the brain.
• Supporting the neck muscles.
• Connect brain and spine.
• Provide attachment to muscles.
Sphenoid bone
• Occupies the middle portion of the base of the skull
•Articulates with the occipital, temporal, parietal and
frontal bones.
•Irregular, unpaired bone

Function-
Forming the skull
Transporting nerves and blood vessels
Provide rigidity to skull
Ethmoid bone
• Occupies the anterior part of the base of the skull
• Helps to form the orbital cavity, the nasal septum, and the lateral walls
of the nasal cavity.
• Irregular, unpaired bone

Function-
• Forms nasal cavity, orbits and septum
• Houses the olfactory nerves
• Directs inhaled air from nostrils to lungs
FONTANELLES
•Fontanelles are the space between skull bones in
infant they permit easy growth of brain
•They are of two types –
•Anterior fontanelle or bregma-
•It is a diamond shaped
•Lies in between frontal and parietal bone
•Closed in 18 months
Posterior fontanelle or lambda –
•Triangle shaped
•Lies in between parietal and occipital
bone
•Closed in 6 weeks
SUTURES
Sutures are the joint only found in the skull
•Coronal suture- between frontal and parietal connect
bones together
•Sagittal suture – lies between left and right parietal bone
•Lambdoidal suture- lies between parietal and occipital
bone
•Squamous suture- lies between temporal and parietal
bone
FACIAL BONES
The face is formed by 14 bones -
• 2 zygomatic bone
• 2 maxilla
• 2 nasal bones
• 2 lacrimal bones
• 1 vomer
• 2 palatine bones
• 2 inferior conchae
• 1 mandible
Nasal bone:
• These are the two small flat bones
•Forms the lateral and the superior surfaces of the
bridge of the nose.
Function –
•Forming the nose.
•Protecting the nasal cavity.
•Attachment site for cartilage of external nose.
Lacrimal bones:
•It shape like finger nail.
•The lacrimal bone contain lacrimal foramen
through which a nasolacrimal or tear duct
passes.
Function –
•Support the lacrimal sac.
•Forming the wall of orbit.
Inferior conchae:
• Each conchae is a scroll- shaped bone,
•It forms the lateral wall of the nasal cavity
Function –
•Filtration
•Warming
•Humidifying
•Preventing cold air
Maxilla (upper jaw bone):
• It forms the upper jaw,
• The anterior part of the roof of the mouth, the lateral walls of
the nasal cavity

Function –
• Supporting facial structure.
• Holding teeth in place
• Forming face
• Helps in chewing, talking, smiling etc.
Mandible(lower jaw bone)
• Only movable jaw of the skull

Function –
• Moving of the mouth.
• Holding teeth in place.
• Shaping the face.
• Helps in chewing
• Palatine bones:
• These are the two small L-shaped bones.
• These horizontal parts unite to form the posterior part of the
hard palate.

Function-
• Helps in formation of nasal cavity, eye socket
• Protect nerves and blood vessels.
• Primary pain signalling pathways for teeth & mouth.
• Zygomatic(cheek) bones:
• Originates as two bones that fuse before birth.
• Form the prominences of the cheeks

Function -
• Structure
• Support facial bones
• Protection
• Attachment
Vomer:
• The vomer is a thin flat and triangular shaped bone
• It forms the inferior and posterior part of the nasal septum.

Function-
• Separates nasal cavity
• Provides passageway
• Support face
AUDITORY OSSICLES-06

•The auditory ossicles (also called ear ossicles) are

three bones in middle ear that are among the
smallest bones in the human body.

•The absence of the auditory ossicles would

constitute a moderate-to-severe hearing loss.
The term "ossicle" literally means "tiny bone".

Malleus
•The malleus articulates with the incus and is
attached to the tympanic membrane (eardrum).

Function –
•Transmit sound vibration from eardrum to incus.
Incus
•The incus is connected to both the other bones.

•Function –
•Receive vibrations.
•Transmit vibrations to stapes.
Stapes
The stapes articulates with the incus is attached to the
oval window or opening between the middle ear and
the vestibule of the inner ear.
It is the smallest bone in the body.

Function –
•Receive sound vibrations from malleus and incus
•Conduction of sound
THE HYOID BONE
• “U” shaped, does not articulate with any other bone. It is
suspended by ligaments and muscles.
• Located in the anterior neck between mandible and larynx.

Function -
• It supports tongue, provides attachment site for tongue muscles
and muscles of neck and pharynx.
• Speech
• Swallowing
• Breathing