Appendicular Skeleton
Above right: Appendicular Skeleton diagram
This is a continuation of the information about the axial and appendicular skeleton, which is often required knowledge for first-level courses in human anatomy.
The appendicular skeleton is the part of the human skeleton that includes the arms and hands, legs and feet, the shoulder girdle and the pelvic girdle.
The appendicular skeleton is shown shaded pink in the diagram of the appendicular skeleton on the right.
(The bones shaded greenish-yellow form the axial skeleton.)
List of the bones of the
Appendicular Skeleton:
- Shoulder Girdles
also called the "pectoral girdles"- Clavicle bones (x2)
- Scapulae (x2)
- Arms (arm bones)
also called "upper limbs"- Humerus bones (x2)
- Ulna bones (x2)
- Radius bones (x2)
- Carpal bones (x16)
- Metacarpal bones (x10)
- Phalanges (x28)
- Hip Girdle
also called the "pelvic girdle"- Hip bones (x2)
incl. ilium, ischium & pubis
- Hip bones (x2)
- Legs
also called "lower limbs"- Femur bones (x2)
- Fibula bones (x2)
- Tibia bones (x2)
- Patella bones (x2)
- Tarsal bones (x14)
- Calcaneus (x2)
- Talus (x2)
- Cuboid (x2)
- Navicular (x2)
- First Cuneiform (x2)
- 2nd Cuneiform (x2)
- 3rd Cuneiform (x2)
- Metatarsal bones (x10)
- Phalanges (x28)
Notice that there is an even number of each named bone in the appendicular skeleton. This is because the appendicular skeleton is symmetrical. For example, there are 2 humerus bones in each human appendicular skeleton - one humerus bone in each of the two upper-arms. Similarly, there are two navicular bones in every appendicular skeleton, one in each of the two ankles.
How many bones in the Appendicular Skeleton ?
The number of each named bone in the appendicular skeleton is indicated in red in brackets after the name of the bone/s in the list above.
Adding together all of these numbers gives a total of 126 (named) bones in the human appendicular skeleton.
Question: So, there are 126 bones in the appendicular skeleton, right ?
Answer: Strictly, it is better to say that there are 126 named bones in the appendicular skeleton. That is the minimum number of bones in every normal, complete, human appendicular skeleton. However, there may be additional (un-named) bones in some appendicular skeletons, e.g. extra sesamoid bones that sometimes form in the hands and feet. For information about specific types of bones see the page about bone types.
See also notes about how many bones in the human body ?, the structure and functions of bones, cranial and facial bones, bones of the feet and hands, bone markings and skeletal disorders.