FEATURES OF HUMERUS

Dr saqib raza
 HEAD OF HUMERUS

• The upper end of the humerus consists of the head. This

faces medially, upwards and backwards and is separated
from the greater and lesser tubercles by the anatomical
neck. The greater tubercle is located laterally on the humerus
and has anterior and posterior surfaces. It serves as an attachment
site for three of the rotator cuff muscles – supraspinatus,
infraspinatus and teres minor – they attach to superior, middle and
inferior facets (respectively) on the greater tubercle .
• The lesser tubercle is much smaller, and more medially
located on the bone. It only has an anterior surface. It
provides attachment for the last rotator cuff muscle – the
subscapularis. Separating the two tubercles is a deep
groove, known as the intertubercular sulcus. The
tendon of the long head of the biceps brachii emerges
from the shoulder joint and runs through this groove.
• The edges of the intertubercular sulcus are known as
lips. Pectoralis major, teres major and latissimus
dorsi insert on the lips of the intertubercular
sulcus. This can be remembered with the mnemonic “a
lady between two majors”, with latissimus dorsi
attaching between teres major on the medial lip and
pectoralis major laterally.
• The surgical neck runs from just distal to the
tubercles to the shaft of the humerus. The axillary
nerve and circumflex humeral vessels lie against the
bone here.
 SHAFT

• The shaft of the humerus is the site of attachment for

various muscles. Cross section views reveal it to be
circular proximally and triangular distally. It has three
borders and three surfaces.
• Anterior border ;
• the upper one third of anterior border forms the lateral
lip of the intertubercular sulcus.
• In its middle part it forms the roughened surface where the
deltoid muscle attaches. This is known is as the deltoid
tuberosity.
• lateral border ;
• The lateral border is prominent only at the lower end where
it forms the lateral supracondylar ridge. In the upper part it
is barely traceable up to the posterior surface of the
tubercle. In the middle part it is interrupted by the radial
Radial or spiral groove.
• Medial border;
• The upper part of the medial border forms the medial lip of
intertubercular sulcus. In its middle it presents rough strip.
It is continuous below with the medial supracondylar ridge
• Attachments.. Anteriorly – coracobrachialis, deltoid,
brachialis, brachioradialis.
• Posteriorly – medial and lateral heads of the triceps .
 SURFACES

1. The anterolateral surface lies between the anterior

and lateral borders. The upper half of this surface is
covered by the deltoid. A little above the middle it is
marked by a V shaped deltoid tuberosity. Behind the
deltoid tuberosity the radial groove runs downwards
and forwards across the surface
 ANTEROMEDIAL SURFACE

• Lies between and medial borders. Its upper one third is narrow
and forms the floor of the intertubercular sulcus. A nutrient
foramen is seen near the medial border below its middle part
• Posterior surface ;
• Lies between the medial and lateral borders. Upper part is
marked by an oblique ridge. The middle one third is crossed by
the radial groove.
 LOWER END

• The lower end of humerus forms the condyle which is expanded

from side to side and has articular and non articular parts the
articular part includes the following.
• The capitulum is a rounded projection which articulates with
the head of the radius.
• The trochlea is a pully shaped surface. It articulates with the
trochlear notch of the ulna the medial edge of the trochlea
• Projects down 6mm more than the lateral edge this
result in the formation of the carrying angle
• The non articular parts are
• The medial and lateral epicondyle Immediately distal to
the supraepicondylar ridges are extracapsular projections of
bone, the lateral and medial epicondyles. Both can be
palpated at the elbow. The medial is the larger of the two.
• The lateral and medial borders of the distal humerus form
medial and lateral supraepicondylar ridges. The lateral
supraepicondylar ridge is more roughened, providing the
site of common origin of the forearm extensor muscles.
• Also located on the distal portion of the humerus are three
depressions, known as
the coronoid, radial and olecranon fossae. They accommodate
the forearm bones during flexion or extension at the elbow.
 CLINICAL ANATOMY

• The common site of fracture are surgical neck shaft

and supracondylar ridges.
• Supracondylar fracture is common in young age it is
produced by fall on the outstretched hand
• The head of humerus commonly dislocates
anteroinferiorly.
RADIUS
• The radius is lateral bone of the forearm and is
homologous with the tibia of the lower limb it has an
upper end a lower end and a shaft.
• Side determination.
• Upper end is having disc shaped head while lower end
is expanded with the styloid process.
• At The lower end the anterior surface is in the form of
thick prominent ridge. While the posterior surface
presents four grooves for the extensor tendons.
• The sharpest border of the shaft is the medial border
close to neck it presents a radial tuberosity
• Lower end presents a tubercle on the posterior surface
called as dorsal tubercle of lister
 FEATURES

Upper end
include the head, neck and radial tuberosity
Head of radius – A disk shaped structure, with a concave
articulating surface. It is thicker medially, where it takes part
in the proximal radioulnar joint.
Neck – A narrow area of bone, which lies between the radial
head and radial tuberosity.
• Radial tuberosity – A bony projection, lies below the
medial part of the neck it has rough posterior part and
smooth anterior part. serves as the place of
attachment of the biceps brachii muscle.

shaft
It has three borders and three surfaces.
• The anterior border extends from the lower part of
the tuberosity above to the anterior part of the base of
the styloid process Its upper third is prominent, and
from its oblique direction has received the name of the
oblique line of the radius it gives origin to the flexor
digitorum superficialis muscle and flexor pollicis
longus muscle the surface above the line gives
insertion to part of the supinator muscle.
• . The middle third of the anterior border is indistinct
and rounded. The lower fourth is prominent, and gives
insertion to the pronator quadratus muscle, and
attachment to the dorsal carpal ligament it ends in a
small tubercle, into which the tendon of
the brachioradialis muscle is inserted.
• The posterior border begins above at the back of
the neck, and ends below at the posterior part of the
base of the styloid process; it separates the posterior
from the lateral surface. is indistinct above and below,
but well-marked in the middle third of the bone. The
upper oblique part is known as the posterior oblique
line.
• The interosseous border or anterior begins above,
at the back part of the tuberosity, and its upper part is
rounded and indistinct; it becomes sharp and
prominent as it descends, and at its lower part divides
into two ridges which are continued to the anterior and
posterior margins of the ulnar notch.
• To the posterior of the two ridges the lower part of
the interosseous membrane is attached, while the triangular
surface between the ridges gives insertion to part of
the pronator quadratus muscle. This crest separates the
volar from the dorsal surface, and gives attachment to the
interosseous membrane. The connection between the two
bones is actually a joint referred to as a syndesmosis joint.
 SUFACES

• Anterior surface lies between the anterior and interosseous

borders. The anterior surface is concave in its upper three-
fourths, and gives origin to the flexor pollicis longus muscle; it is
broad and flat in its lower fourth, and affords insertion to
the Pronator quadratus. A prominent ridge limits the insertion of
the Pronator quadratus below, and between this and the inferior
border is a triangular rough surface for the attachment of
the anterior radiocarpal ligament. At the junction of the upper
and middle thirds of the volar surface is the nutrient foramen,
which is directed obliquely upward.
• The posterior surface is convex, and smooth in the upper
third of its extent, and covered by the Supinator. Its middle
third is broad, slightly concave, and gives origin to
the Abductor pollicis longus above, and the extensor pollicis
brevis muscle below. Its lower third is broad, convex, and
covered by the tendons of the muscles which subsequently
run in the grooves on the lower end of the bone.
• The lateral surface is convex throughout its entire
extent and is known as the convexity of the radius,
curving outwards to be convex at the side. Its upper
third gives insertion to the supinator muscle. About its
center is a rough ridge, for the insertion of the pronator
teres muscle. Its lower part is narrow, and covered by
the tendons of the abductor pollicis longus
muscle and extensor pollicis brevis muscle.
 LOWER END

• The lower end is the widest part of the bone. It has 5 surfaces
• The anterior surface, rough and irregular, affords attachment to
the volar radiocarpal ligament. The radial artery is palpated against this
surface.
• The dorsal surface is convex, affords attachment to the dorsal
radiocarpal ligament, and is marked by three grooves. Enumerated from
the lateral side
• The first groove is broad, but shallow, and subdivided into two by a
slight ridge: the lateral of these two, transmits the tendon of
the extensor carpi radialis longus muscle; the medial, the tendon of
the extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle.
• The second is deep but narrow, and bounded laterally
by a sharply defined ridge; it is directed obliquely from
above downward and lateralward, and transmits the
tendon of the extensor pollicis longus muscle.
• The third is broad, for the passage of the tendons of
the extensor indicis proprius and extensor digitorum
communis.
• The lateral surface is prolonged obliquely downward into a
strong, conical projection, the styloid process, which gives
attachment by its base to the tendon of the
brachioradialis, and by its apex to the radial collateral
ligament of wrist joint. The lateral surface of this process is
marked by a flat groove, for the tendons of the abductor
pollicis longus muscle and extensor pollicis brevis muscle.
• The medial surface is occupied by the ulnar notch for
the head of the ulna
• The inferior surface bears a triangular area for the
scaphoid bone and a medial quadrangular area for the
lunate bone. This surface takes part in forming the
wrist joint.
Thank you