bones of the trunk The 51 trunk bones consist of 26 vertebrae, 24 ribs, and the sternum. The 26 vertebrae comprise 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, and 5 lumbar vertebrae, plus the sacrum and the coccyx. The 24 ribs comprise 14 true ribs, 6 false ribs, and 4 floating ribs. The sternum is the breastbone. Along…
bones of the skeleton The human body has 206 bones. These consist of 80 axial (head and trunk) bones and 126 appendicular (upper and lower extremity) bones. See also bones of the arm, wrist, and hand; bones of the head; bones of the leg, ankle, and foot; bones of the trunk.
bones of the leg, ankle, and foot There are 62 lower extremity bones. They consist of 10 hip and leg, 14 ankle, and 38 foot bones. The 10 hip and leg bones are the innominate, or hip, bone (which is a fusion of the ilium, ischium, and pubis), and the femur, tibia, fibula, and patella…
bones of the head There are 29 bones in the human head. They include 8 cranial bones, 14 facial bones, the hyoid bone, and 6 ear (auditory) bones. The 8 cranial bones are the frontal, 2 parietal, occipital, 2 temporal, sphenoid, and ethmoid bones. The 14 facial bones are the 2 maxilla, the mandible, 2…
bones of the arm, wrist, and hand There are 64 bones in the upper extremities. They consist of 10 shoulder and arm, 16 wrist, and 38 hand bones. The 10 shoulder and arm bones are the clavicle, scapula, humerus, radius, and ulna on each side. The 16 wrist bones are the scaphoid, lunate, triquetrum, pisiform,…
bones, lower extremity See bones of the leg, ankle, and foot.
bones, axial See bones of the head.
bones, appendicular See bones of the arm, wrist, and hand.
bone scan A nuclear medicine technique for creating images of bones on a computer screen or on film. A small amount of radioactive material is injected into a vein and travels through the bloodstream. It collects in the bones, especially in abnormal areas of the bones, and is detected by an instrument called a scanner….
bone mineral density Also known as BMD and bone density. A measure of bone density, reflecting the strength of bones as represented by calcium content. The BMD test detects osteopenia (mild bone loss, usually without symptoms) and osteoporosis (more severe bone loss, which may cause symptoms). See also osteopenia; osteoporosis.
bone marrow transplant A procedure in which diseased or damaged bone marrow is replaced with healthy bone marrow. The bone marrow to be replaced may be deliberately destroyed by high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Replacement marrow may come from another person, or the patient’s own marrow may be removed and stored before treatment…
bone marrow biopsy The removal of a sample of bone marrow and a small amount of bone through a large needle. Two samples are taken. The first is bone marrow by aspiration (suction with a syringe). The second is a core biopsy to obtain bone marrow along with bone fibers. After the needle is removed,…