BONES OF THE

UPPER LIMB

Prepared By:

Foday Hassan Kalokoh

Student School of Clinical Sciences (Makeni)
 OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lecture, students should be able
to:
List the different bones of the UL.
 List the characteristic features of each bone.
Differentiate between the bones of the right and
left sides.
List the articulations between the different
bones.
The Bones of UL are:
Pectoral Girdle: Clavicle &
Scapula
Arm : Humerus.
Forearm : Radius & Ulna.
Wrist : Carpal bones
Hand: Metacarpals &
Phalanges
Pectoral Girdle
Formed of Two Bones:
Clavicle (anteriorly) and
Scapula (posteriorly).
Attaches the upper limb
to the trunk
It is very light and
allows the upper limb to
have exceptionally free
movement.
Clavicle
 It is a doubly curved long bone
lying horizontally across the root of
the neck
 It is subcutaneous throughout its
length.
 Functions:
 1. It serves as a rigid support from
which the scapula and free upper
limb are suspended & keeping them
away from the trunk so that the arm
has maximum freedom of
movement.
 2. Transmits forces from the upper
limb to the axial skeleton.
 3. Provides attachment for muscles.
 4. It forms a boundary of the
Cervicoaxillary canal for protection
of the neurovascular bundle of the
Clavicle
It is a long bone with no medullary cavity.
It has the appearance of an elongated
letter Capital (S) lying on one side.
It has Two Ends:
Medial (Sternal) : enlarged & triangular.
Lateral (Acromial) : flattened.
Body (shaft):
 Its medial 2/3) is convex forward.
 Its lateral 1/3 is concave forward.
 Surfaces:
 Superior : smooth as it lies just deep to
the skin.
 Inferior : rough because strong
ligaments bind it to the 1st rib.
Articulations of Clavicle
Medially with the
manubrium at the
Sternoclavicular
joint .
Laterally with the
Scapula at the
Acromioclavicular
joint
Inferiorly with the
1st rib at the
Costoclavicular
Joint
Fractures of the Clavicle
 The clavicle is commonly fractured
especially in children as forces are
impacted to the outstretched hand
during falling.
 The weakest part of the clavicle is
the junction of the middle and
lateral thirds.
 After fracture, the medial fragment
is elevated (by the sternomastoid
muscle), the lateral fragment drops
because of the weight of the UL.
 It may be pulled medially by the
adductors of the arm.
 The sagging limb is supported by the
other.
Scapula (Shoulder Blade)
 It is a triangular Flat bone.
 Extends between the 2nd _ 7th ribs.

It has :
 Three Processes:
 (1)Spine: a thick projecting ridge of bone
that continues laterally.
 (2) Acromion : forms the subcutaneous
point of the shoulder.
 (3) Coracoid: a beaklike process.
 It resembles in size, shape and direction a
bent finger pointing to the shoulder.
 Three Borders: Superior, Medial
(Vertebral) & Lateral (Axillary) (the
thickest) part of the bone, it terminates at
the lateral angle .
Three Angles :
Superior.
Lateral (forms the Glenoid cavity) : a
shallow concave oval fossa that receives
the head of the humerus.
Inferior.
Two Surfaces:
1. Convex Posterior : divided by the spine of
the scapula into the
Smaller Supraspinous Fossa
(above the spine) and the
larger Infraspinous Fossa
(below the spine).
2.Concave Anterior (Costal) : it forms
the large Subscapular Fossa.
 Functions
1. Gives attachment to muscles.
2.Has a considerable degree of
movement on the thoracic wall
to enable the arm to move
freely.
3. The glenoid cavity forms the
socket of the shoulder joint.
Because most of the scapula is
well protected by muscles and
by its association with the
thoracic wall , most of its
fractures involve the protruding
subcutaneous Acromion.
WINGED SCAPULA
It will protrude posteriorly.
The patient has difficulty in
raising the arm above the
head (difficult in rotation of
the scapula).
It is due to injury of the long
thoracic nerve (as in radical
mastectomy) which causes
paralysis of serratus
anterior muscle
The medial border and
inferior angle of the scapula
will no longer be kept
closely applied to the chest
wall
 Humerus
 A typical Long bone.
 It is the largest bone in the UL
 Proximal End :
 Head, Neck, Greater & Lesser
Tubercles.
surgical  Head: Smooth
 it forms 1/3 of a sphere, it articulates
with the glenoid cavity of the scapula.
 Greater tubercle: at the lateral margin
of the humerus.
 Lesser tubercle: projects anteriorly.
 The two tubercles are separated by
 Intertubercular Groove.
 Anatomical neck: formed by a groove
separating the head from the tubercles
 Surgical Neck: a narrow part distal to
the tubercles.
 Shaft (Body):
 Has two prominent features:
 1. Deltoid tuberosity:
 A rough elevation laterally for the
attachment of deltoid muscle.
 2. Spiral (Radial) groove:
 Runs obliquely down the posterior
aspect of the shaft.
 It lodges the important radial nerve &
vessels.
 Distal End:
 Widens as the sharp medial and
lateral Supracondylar Ridges and end
in the Medial (can be felt) and
Lateral Epicondyles.
 They provide muscular attachment.
 Structures at Distal end:
 Anteriorly:
 Trochlea: (medial) for
articulation with the ulna
 Capitulum: (lateral) for
articulation with the radius.
 Coronoid fossa :above the
trochlea.
 Radial fossa: above the
capitulum.
 Posteriorly:
 Olecranon fossa : above the
trochlea.

Fractures of Humerus
 Most common fractures are of
the Surgical Neck especially in
elder people with osteoporosis.
 The fracture results from falling
on the hand (transition of force
through the bones of forearm of
the extended limb).
 In younger people, fractures of the
greater tubercle results from
falling on the hand when the arm
is abducted .
 The body of the humerus can be
fractured by a direct blow to the
arm or by indirect injury as
falling on the oustretched hand.
Nerves affected in fractures of humerus

Surgical neck: Axillary

nerve
Radial groove: Radial nerve.
Distal end of humerus:
Median nerve.
Medial epicondyle : Ulnar
nerve.
Ulna
 It is the stabilizing bone of the
forearm.
 It is the medial & longer of the two
bones of the forearm.
 Proximal End
 1. Olecranon Process :
 projects proximally from the
posterior aspect(forms the
prominence of the elbow).
 2. Coronoid Process :
 projects anteriorly.
 3.Tuberosity of Ulna:
 inferior to coronoid process.
 4.Trochlear Notch:
 articulates with trochlea of humerus.
 5.Radial Notch :
 a smooth rounded concavity lateral
to coronoid process.
 Shaft :
 Thick & cylindrical superiorly but
diminishes in diameter inferiorly
 It has Three Surfaces (Anterior,
Medial & Posterior).
 Sharp Lateral Interosseous border.
 Distal End: Small rounded
1. Head: lies distally at the wrist. .
2. Styloid process: Medial.
Radius
 It is the shorter and lateral of the two
forearm bones.
 Proximal End:
 1. Head: small & circular
 Its upper surface is concave for
articulation with the Capitulum.
 2. Neck.
 3. Radial (Biciptal) Tuberosity :
medially directed and separates
the proximal end from the body.
 Shaft:
 Has a lateral convexity.
 It gradually enlarges as it passes
distally.
Radius
 Distal (Lower) End: It is rectangular
 1. Ulnar Notch : a medial concavity
to accommodate the head of the ulna.
 2.Radial Styloid process: extends
from the lateral aspect.
 3.Dorsal tubercle: projects dorsally.
Fractures of radius & ulna
 Because the radius & ulna are firmly
bound by the interosseous membrane, a
fracture of one bone is commonly
associated with dislocation of the nearest
joint.
 Colle’ s Fracture (fracture of the distal end
of radius) is the most common fracture of
the forearm.
 It is more common in women after middle
age because of osteoporosis.
 It causes dinner fork deformity.
 It results from forced dorsiflexion of the
hand as a result to ease a fall by
outstretching the upper limb.
 The typical history of the fracture includes
slipping. Because of the rich blood supply
to the distal end of the radius, bony union is
usually good.
WRIST ( CARPUS)
 Composed of Eight Carpal ( short
bones) arranged in two irregular rows,
Four each.
 These Small bones give flexibility to the
wrist.
 The carpus presents Concavity on their
Anterior surface & Convex from side to
side Posteriorly.
 Proximal row (from lateral to medial):
 Scaphoid, Lunate, Triquetral &
Pisiform bones.
 Distal row (from lateral to medial):
 Trapezium, Trapezoid,
 Capitate & Hamate.
 Fracture of
Scaphoid
It is the most commonly fractured
carpal bone and it is the most common
injury of the wrist.
It is the result of a fall onto the palm when
the hand is abducted.
Pain occurs along the lateral side of the
wrist especially during dorsiflexion and
abduction of the hand.
Union of the bone may take several
months because of poor blood supply to
the proximal part of the scaphoid.
Metacarpaus
It is the skeleton of the hand between
the carpus and phalanges.
 It is composed of Five Metacarpal
bones, each has a Base, Shaft,
and a Head.
They are numbered 1-5 from the
thumb.
The distal ends (Heads) articulate
with the proximal phalanges to form
the Knuckles of the fist.
The Bases of the metacarpals
articulate with the carpal bones.
The 1st metacarpal is the shortest and
most mobile.
Digits
 Each digit has Three Phalanges
 Except the Thumb which has only
Two
 Each phalanx has a Base
Proximally, a Head distally and a
Body between the base and the
head.
 The proximal phalanx is the
largest.
 The middle ones are intermediate in
size.
 The distal ones are the smallest, its
distal ends are flattened and
expanded distally to form the nail
beds.