upper limb bones
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labeled diagram bones of upper limb shoulder girdle humerus radius ulna hand
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Upper limb bones
The upper limb is divided into the shoulder girdle, arm, forearm, and hand. Gray's Anatomy for Students describes these regions as shoulder, arm, forearm, and hand.
1. Shoulder girdle
- Clavicle: collar bone. Connects the upper limb to the trunk.
- Scapula: shoulder blade. Its glenoid cavity articulates with the humeral head to form the shoulder joint.
2. Arm
- Humerus: the single long bone from shoulder to elbow.
- Proximal end: head, greater and lesser tubercles
- Distal end: trochlea and capitulum, which articulate at the elbow
3. Forearm
- Radius: lateral bone, on the thumb side in anatomical position.
- Ulna: medial bone, on the little-finger side.
- The radius crosses over the ulna during pronation, when the palm turns down. General Anatomy and Musculoskeletal System, p. 269.
4. Hand
Each hand has 27 bones:
| Group | Number | Bones |
|---|---|---|
| Carpals | 8 | Wrist bones |
| Metacarpals | 5 | Palm bones |
| Phalanges | 14 | Finger bones |
Carpal bones
They are arranged in two rows of four, from lateral (thumb) to medial (little-finger) side:
- Proximal row: Scaphoid, Lunate, Triquetrum, Pisiform
- Distal row: Trapezium, Trapezoid, Capitate, Hamate
Mnemonic: “Some Lovers Try Positions, That They Can’t Handle.”
Bone count
- Free upper limb: 30 bones per side
- Humerus: 1
- Radius and ulna: 2
- Hand: 27
- Including shoulder girdle: 32 bones per side
- Add clavicle and scapula
A key distinction: the arm contains only the humerus, while the forearm contains the radius and ulna.
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