Chapter 1.

The Skeleton

Celso S. Sto. Domingo, DVM

Assistant Professor IV, BASC
• The skeleton serves for support and protection while
providing levers for muscular action.
• It functions as a storehouse for minerals and as a site for fat
storage and blood cell formation.
• In the living body the skeleton is composed of a changing,
actively metabolizing tissue that may be altered in shape, size,
and position by mechanical or biochemical demands.
Classification of Skeletal Elements
• Bones may be grouped according to shape, structure,
function, origin, or position.
• Heterotopic bones are defined by position and may be located
anywhere in the body. The os penis or baculum is an example
of such a bone.
• It is located in the glans of the penis and can be found in all
mammals except humans, whales, and some others
Classification of Bones According to Shape
• Five general divisions on this basis are recognized: long bones,
short bones, sesamoid bones, flat bones, and irregular bones.
• Long, short, and sesamoid bones are found in the limbs.
• Flat and irregular bones are characteristic of the skull and
vertebral column.
• Sesamoid bones vary from tiny spheres to the slightly bent,
ovoid patella that is 2 cm or longer in a large dog.
• Some sesamoid elements never ossify but remain as cartilages
throughout life, such as those of the distal interphalangeal
joints.
Classification of Bones According to Shape
1. Long bones (ossa longa) are characteristic of the limbs.
• The bones of the thigh and arm, that is, the femur and
humerus, are good examples.
• Typically a long bone, during its growth, possesses a shaft, or
diaphysis, and two ends, the epiphyses
• During development each end is separated from the shaft by a
plate of growing cartilage, the physeal cartilage.
• The rapidly growing, flared end of the bone between the shaft
and the epiphysis is called the metaphysis.
Classification of Bones According to Shape
2. Short bones (ossa brevis) are confined to the carpal and tarsal
regions, which contain seven bones each.
• They vary in shape from the typical cuboidal shape with six
surfaces to irregularly compressed rods with only one flat,
articular surface
Classification of Bones According to Shape
3. Sesamoid bones (ossa sesamoidea) are present near freely
moving joints.
• They are usually formed in tendons, but they may be
developed in the ligamentous tissue over which tendons pass.
• They usually possess only one articular surface, which glides
on a flat or convex surface of one or more of the long bones of
the extremities.
• Their chief function is to protect tendons at the places where
greatest friction is developed.
Classification of Bones According to Shape
4. Flat bones (ossa plana) are found in the limb girdles, where
they serve for muscle attachment, and in the head, where they
surround and protect the sense organs and brain as well as
serve for muscle attachment.
• The bones of the face are flat, providing maximum shielding
without undue weight, and streamlining the head.
• The flat bones of the cranium consist of outer and inner tables
of compact bone and an intermediate uniting spongy bone,
called diploë.
• Bones that contain air cavities are called pneumatic bones
Classification of Bones According to Shape
5. Irregular bones (ossa irregulata) are those of the vertebral
column, but the term also includes all bones of the skull not of
the flat type, and the three parts of the hip bone (os coxae).
• Jutting processes are the characteristic features of irregular
bones.
• Most of these processes are for muscular and ligamentous
attachments; some are for articulation.
Development of Bone
• Bone consists of cells in a specialized intercellular organic
matrix called osteoid, which is mineralized primarily by
hydroxyapatite.
• Bone-forming cells, or osteoblasts, are capable of synthesizing
extracellular collagenous and noncollagenous proteins and
proteoglycans, the building blocks of bone matrix
• Osteoblasts on the bone surface become osteocytes as they
are surrounded by mineralized matrix
• All bone-lining cells are interconnected and appear capable of
maintaining active transport in calcium homeostasis.
Structure of Bone
• The gross structure of a dried, macerated bone is best
revealed if the bone is sectioned in various planes.
• Two types of bone structure are seen.
• One is compact, or dense, which forms the outer shell of all
skeletal parts.
• The other is spongy, or cancellous, which occupies the interior
of the extremities of all long bones and the entire interior of
most other bones, except certain of the skull bones and the
bones of the thoracic and pelvic girdles.
• Spongy bone is not found in the girdles, where the two
compact plates are fused.
Structure of Bone
Compact bone (substantia compacta and substantia corticalis)
• is developed in direct ratio to the stress to which the bone is
subjected.
• It is thicker in the shafts of long bones than in their
extremities.
• It attains its greatest uniform thickness where the
circumference of the bone is least.
• The maximum thickness of the compact bone found in the
femur and humerus of an adult Great Dane is 3 mm.
• Local areas of increased thickness are present at places where
there is increased tension from muscles or ligaments.
Structure of Bone
Spongy bone (substantia spongiosa)
• is elaborated in the extremities of long bones, forms the
internal substance of short and irregular bones, and is
interposed between the two compact layers of most flat
bones.
• Spongy bone consists of a complicated maze of crossing and
connecting osseous leaves and spicules that vary in shape and
direction.
• The spongy bone of the skull is known as diploë.
Structure of Bone
• The shafts of long bones in the adult are filled largely with
yellow bone marrow (medulla ossium flava). This substance is
chiefly fat.
• In the fetus and the newborn, red bone marrow (medulla
ossium rubra) occupies this cavity and functions in forming red
blood cells.
• No spongy bone is present in the middle of the shaft of a long
bone, and the marrow-filled space thus formed is known as a
medullary cavity.
Structure of Bone
• Spongy bone is developed where greatest stress occurs.
• The spongy bone of ribs and vertebrae and of many other
short and flat bones is filled with red marrow throughout life.
• The periosteum is an investing layer of connective tissue that
covers the non-articular surfaces of all bones in the fresh state.
• The connective tissue covering of cartilage, known as
perichondrium, does not differ histologically from periosteum.
• Perichondrium covers only the articular margins of articular
cartilages but invests cartilages in all other locations.
Structure of Bone
• The endosteum is similar in structure to periosteum but is
thinner. It lines the large medullary cavities, being the
condensed peripheral layer of the bone marrow
• Sometimes the fractured part is over-repaired with bone of
poor quality. Such osseous bulges at the site of injury are
known as exostoses.
• Mucoperiosteum is the name given to the covering of bones
that participate in forming boundaries of the respiratory or
digestive system. It lines all of the paranasal sinuses and
contains mucous cells
Physical Properties of Bone
• Bone is about one-third organic and two-thirds inorganic
material.
• The inorganic matrix of bone has a microcrystalline structure
composed principally of calcium phosphate.
• The exact constitution of the crystal lattice is still under study,
but it is generally agreed that bone mineral is largely a
hydroxyapatite with adsorbed carbonate.
• Some consider that it may exist as tricalcium phosphate
hydrate with adsorbed calcium carbonate
Vessels and Nerves of Bone
• Bone, unlike cartilage, has both a nerve and a blood supply.
• Long bones and many flat and irregular bones have a
conspicuous nutrient (medullary) artery and vein passing
through the compact substance to serve the marrow within.
• Such arteries pass through a nutrient foramen (foramen
nutricium) and canal (canalis nutricius) of a bone and, on
reaching the marrow cavity, divide into proximal and distal
branches that repeatedly subdivide and supply the bone
marrow and the adjacent cortical bone.
• In the long and short bones, terminal branches reach the
physeal plate of cartilage, where, in young animals, they end in
capillaries
Vessels and Nerves of Bone
• The periosteal arteries and veins are numerous but small;
these arteries supply the extremities of long bones and much
of the compact bone
• Lymph vessels are present in the periosteum as perivascular
sheaths and probably also as unaccompanied vessels within
the bone marrow.
• The nerves in bone are principally sensory and evidence has
been accumulating that the nervous system plays a crucial role
in remodeling of bone and the maintenance of bone mass.
Both the central and sympathetic part of the peripheral
nervous systems are believed to be involved in such regulation
Function of Bone
The skeleton of the vertebrate body serves four functions.
1. Bone forms the supporting and, in many instances, the
protecting framework of the body.
2. Many bones serve as first-, second-, or third-class levers,
owing to the action of different muscles at different times
and to changes in the positions of force and fulcrum
3. Bone serves as a storehouse for calcium and phosphorus
and for many other elements in small amounts
4. Bone serves as a factory for red blood cells and for several
kinds of white blood cells. In the normal adult it also stores
fat.
Reading Assignment: Axial Skeleton Page 85-126
AXIAL SKELETON
Axial Skeleton
SKULL
• Bones of the Cranium
• Bones of the Face and Palate
• Bones of the Hyoid Apparatus
• The Skull as a Whole
• Cavities of the Skull
VERTEBRAL COLUMN
• The Vertebral Column as a Whole
THORACIC SKELETON
• Ribs
• Sternum
Axial Skeleton
• The axial skeleton is composed of the skull, hyoid bones,
vertebral column, ribs, and sternum.
• Skulls differ more in size and shape among domestic dogs than
in any other mammalian species.
• For this reason, craniometry in dogs takes on added
significance when characterizing specific breeds and crosses.
• Certain points and landmarks on the skull are recognized in
making linear measurement.
Axial Skeleton
• Inion: Central surface point on the external occipital
protuberance
• Bregma: Junction on the median plane of the right and left
frontoparietal sutures, or the point of crossing of the coronal
and sagittal sutures
• Nasion: Junction on the median plane of the right and left
nasofrontal sutures
• Prosthion: Rostral end of the interincisive suture, located
between the roots of the superior central incisor teeth
Axial Skeleton
• Pogonion: Most rostral part of the mandible, at the
intermandibular articulation, located between the roots of the
inferior central incisor teeth
• Basion: Middle of the foramen magnum
• The center of the external acoustic meatus: Although
unnamed, this spot also serves as a reference point.
Axial Skeleton
• Three terms are frequently used to designate head shapes the
ventral margin of the foramen magnum:
Dolichocephalic means “long, narrow-headed.” Breed
examples are Collie and Russian Wolfhound.
Mesaticephalic means a head of medium proportions.
Breed examples are German Shepherd Dog, Beagle, and Setter.
Brachycephalic means “short, wide-headed.” Breed
examples are Boston Terrier and Pekingese
Dolichocephalic Mesaticephalic Brachycephalic
(Collie) (Beagle) (Boston Terrier)
Bones of the Cranium
• Occipital bone
• Parietal bone
• Frontal bone
• Sphenoid bone
• Presphenoid bone
• Basisphenoid bone
• Temporal bone
• Ethmoid bone
 Bones of the Cranium
• Occipital bone - forms a ring, the foramen magnum, around
the junction of the medulla oblongata and the spinal cord.
 Bones of the Cranium
• Parietal Bone - The bone is paired and forms most of the
dorsolateral part of the calvarial portion of the cranium. It
articulates dorsally with its fellow and with the interparietal
process of the occipital bone
Bones of the Cranium
• Frontal Bone - The bone is irregular in shape, being broad
caudally and somewhat narrower rostrally. Laterally, the
rostral part is concave and forms the medial wall of the orbit.
Caudal to this concavity, it flares laterally to form part of the
temporal fossa
Bones of the Cranium
• Sphenoid Bones - The bones form the rostral two thirds of the
base of the cranial cavity between the basioccipital caudally
and the ethmoid rostrally.
• Each consists of a pair of wings and a median body.
• The more rostral bone with orbital wings is the presphenoid,
the caudal bone with the larger wings is the basisphenoid
Bones of the Cranium
• Presphenoid - The dorsal part of the body (corpus) of the
presphenoid is roofed over by the fusion of right and left
wings (alae) to form the yoke (jugum sphenoidale).
Bones of the Cranium
• Basisphenoid - The body (corpus) of the basisphenoid forms
the base of the middle cranial fossa. The middle of its dorsal
surface is slightly dished to form the oval hypophyseal fossa
(fossa hypophysialis).
Bones of the Cranium
• Temporal Bone - The temporal bone forms a large part of the
ventrolateral wall of the calvaria.
Bones of the Face and Palate
• Incisive bone
• Nasal bone
• Maxilla
• Dorsal Nasal Concha
• Ventral Nasal Concha
• Zygomatic bone
• Palatine bone
• Lacrimal bone
• Pterygoid bone
• Vomer
• Mandible
Bones of the Face and Palate
• Incisive Bone - formerly premaxilla has a small body rostrally
with three processes (Alveolar, Nasal and Palatine processes)
Bones of the Face and Palate
• Nasal Bone - The nasal bone is long, slender, and narrow
caudally but, in large dogs, is almost 1 cm wide rostrally.
Bones of the Face and Palate
• Maxilla - The maxilla is divided grossly into a body and four
processes: the frontal, zygomatic, palatine, and alveolar. It is
the largest bone of the face and bears all of the superior
cheek teeth
Bones of the Face and Palate
• Dorsal Nasal Concha - The dorsal nasal concha was formerly
called the nasal turbinate. It is the continuation of
endoturbinate I of the ethmoid, which attaches by means of
an ethmoidal crest to the nasal bone.
• Ventral Nasal Concha - The ventral nasal concha was formerly
called the maxilloturbinate. It is attached to the medial wall of
the maxilla by a single basal lamina, the conchal crest.
Bones of the Face and Palate
• Dorsal Nasal Concha - The dorsal nasal concha was formerly
called the nasal turbinate. It is the continuation of
endoturbinate I of the ethmoid, which attaches by means of
an ethmoidal crest to the nasal bone.
• Ventral Nasal Concha - The ventral nasal concha was formerly
called the maxilloturbinate. It is attached to the medial wall of
the maxilla by a single basal lamina, the conchal crest.
Bones of the Face and Palate
• Zygomatic Bone - The zygomatic bone formerly called jugal or
malar bone, forms the rostral half of the zygomatic arch (arcus
zygomaticus). It is divided into two surfaces, and two
processes.
Bones of the Face and Palate
• Palatine Bone - The palatine bone is located caudomedial to
the maxilla, where it forms the caudal part of the hard palate,
the rostromedial wall of the pterygopalatine fossa, and the
lateral wall of the nasopharynx.
Bones of the Face and Palate
• Lacrimal Bone - The lacrimal bone located in the rostral
margin of the orbit, is roughly triangular in outline and
pyramidal in shape
Bones of the Face and Palate
• Pterygoid Bone - The pterygoid bone is a small, thin, slightly
curved, nearly four-sided plate of bone that articulates with
the bodies of both the presphenoid and the basisphenoiod
bones, but particularly with the medial surface of the
pterygoid process of the basisphenoid.
Bones of the Face and Palate
• Vomer - The vomer is an unpaired bone that forms the
caudoventral part of the nasal septum. It contributes to the
roof of the choana.
Bones of the Hyoid Apparatus
• The hyoid apparatus acts as a suspensory mechanism for the
tongue and larynx.
• It attaches to the skull dorsally, and to the larynx and base of
the tongue ventrally, suspending these structures in the
caudal part of the space between the bodies of the mandible.
• The component parts, united by synchondroses, consist of the
single basihyoid and the paired thyrohyoid, ceratohyoid,
epihyoid, and stylohyoid bones, and the tympanohyoid
cartilages
Bones of the Hyoid Apparatus
Bones of the Hyoid Apparatus
• Basihyoid - The basihyoid body is a transverse, unpaired bone
in the musculature of the base of the tongue as a ventrally
bowed, dorsoventrally compressed rod.
• Thyrohyoid - The thyrohyoid (thyrohyoideum) is a laterally
bowed, sagittally compressed, slender bone that extends
dorsocaudally from the basihyoid to articulate with the cranial
cornu of the thyroid cartilage of the larynx
• Ceratohyoid - The ceratohyoid (ceratohyoideum) is a small,
short, tapered rod having a distal extremity that is
approximately twice as large as its proximal extremity.
Bones of the Hyoid Apparatus
• Epihyoid - The epihyoid is approximately parallel to the
thyrohyoid bone. It articulates with the ceratohyoid at nearly a
right angle distally and with the stylohyoid proximally without
any angulation.
• Stylohyoid - The stylohyoid is slightly longer than the
epihyoid, with which it articulates. It is flattened slightly
craniocaudally and is distinctly bowed toward the median
plane
• Tympanohyoid Cartilage - The tympanohyoid cartilage is a
small cartilaginous bar that continues the proximal end of the
stylohyoid to the inconspicuous mastoid process of the skull.
VERTEBRAL COLUMN
VERTEBRAL COLUMN
• The vertebral column consists of approximately 50 irregular
bones, the vertebrae.
• The vertebrae are arranged in five groups: cervical, thoracic,
lumbar, sacral, and caudal (formerly coccygeal).
• C7 T13 L7 S3 Cd20.
• The vertebrae protect the spinal cord and roots of the spinal
nerves, aid in the support of the head, and furnish attachment
for the muscles governing body movements
VERTEBRAL COLUMN
• A typical vertebra consists of a body (corpus vertebrae); a
vertebral arch (arcus vertebrae), consisting of right and left
pedicles and laminae; and various processes for muscular or
articular connections, which may include transverse, spinous,
articular, accessory, and mamillary processes.
VERTEBRAL COLUMN
• Cervical Vertebrae - The cervical vertebrae are seven in
number in most mammals.
• The first two, differing greatly from each other and also from
all the other vertebrae, can be readily recognized.
• The atlas or first cervical vertebra, is atypical in both structure
and function
VERTEBRAL COLUMN
• The axis, or second cervical vertebra, presents an elongated,
dorsal spinous process, that is bladelike cranially and
expanded caudally.
VERTEBRAL COLUMN
• Thoracic Vertebrae - There are 13 thoracic vertebrae. The first
nine are similar; the last four present minor differences from
each other and from the preceding nine.
VERTEBRAL COLUMN
• Lumbar Vertebrae - The lumbar vertebrae are seven in
number, have longer bodies than those of the thoracic
vertebrae
VERTEBRAL COLUMN
• Sacral Vertebrae - The bodies and processes of the three
sacral vertebrae fuse in the adult to form the sacrum. The
bulk of this four-sided, wedge-shaped complex lies between
the ilia and articulates with them.
VERTEBRAL COLUMN
• Caudal Vertebrae - The average number of caudal vertebrae is
usually 20, although the number may vary from 6 to 23. The
caudal vertebrae, formerly referred to as coccygeal vertebrae
THORACIC SKELETON
THORACIC SKELETON
1. Ribs - The ribs (costae) form the largest part of the thoracic
skeleton, which includes the middorsal and midventral strips
formed by the vertebral column and the sternum, respectively.
• There are usually 13 pairs of ribs in the dog.
• Each rib is divided into a laterally and caudally convex dorsal
bony part, the os costale, and a ventral cartilaginous part, the
costal cartilage (cartilago costalis).
• The first nine ribs articulate with the sternum and are called
the sternal or true ribs; the last four are called the asternal or
false ribs.
THORACIC SKELETON
• The costal cartilages of the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth ribs
unite with the cartilage of the last sternal rib (the ninth) to
form the costal arch on each side.
• Because the cartilages of the last (thirteenth) pair of ribs end
freely in the musculature, these ribs are sometimes called
floating ribs.
THORACIC SKELETON
2. Sternum - The sternum (see Figs. 4-88 and 4-89) is an
unpaired segmental series of eight bones, sternebrae, that form
the ventral boundary of the thorax. It is slightly turned dorsally
cranially and turned ventrally caudally.
• The first sternebra is longer than the others and is known as
the manubrium
• The last sternebra, called the xiphoid process, is wide and flat.
Its length is approximately three times its width
APPENDICULAR
SKELETON
Appendicular Skeleton
BONES OF THE THORACIC BONES OF THE PELVIC LIMB
LIMB • Os Coxae
• Clavicle • Femur
• Scapula • Sesamoid bones of the
• Humerus Stifle joints
• Radius • Tibia
• Ulna • Fibula
• Forepaw • Hindpaw
• Carpus • Tarsus
• Metacarpus • Metatarsus
• Phalanges • Phalanges
• Sesamoid bones
BONES OF THE THORACIC LIMB
• Each thoracic limb consists of its half of the shoulder girdle,
composed of the clavicle and scapula; the arm, or brachium,
represented by the humerus; the forearm, or antebrachium,
consisting of the radius and ulna; and the forepaw, or manus.
• The manus includes the carpal bones, the metacarpals, the
phalanges of the digits and dorsal as well as palmar sesamoid
bones.
BONES OF THE THORACIC LIMB
• Clavicle - The clavicle is not articulated with the skeleton in
the dog. It is located at the tendinous intersection of the
brachiocephalicus muscle, and its medial end is attached to
the sternal fascia by a distinct ligamentous band.
BONES OF THE THORACIC LIMB
• Scapula - The scapula is the large, flat bone of the shoulder
joint. Its most dorsal part lies just ventral to the level of the
free end of the spinous process of the first or second thoracic
vertebra.
BONES OF THE THORACIC LIMB
• Scapula - The scapula is the large, flat bone of the shoulder
joint. Its most dorsal part lies just ventral to the level of the
free end of the spinous process of the first or second thoracic
vertebra.
BONES OF THE THORACIC LIMB
• Humerus - The humerus is the bone of the arm,
or brachium. Proximally it articulates with the
scapula in forming the shoulder joint; distally it
articulates with the radius and ulna in forming
the elbow joint.
BONES OF THE THORACIC LIMB
• Radius - The radius is the main weight-supporting bone of the
forearm; it is shorter than the ulna, which parallels it and
serves primarily for muscle attachment.

• Ulna - The ulna, for descriptive purposes, is divided into a body,

or shaft, and two extremities. The proximal extremity is the
olecranon and the distal extremity is the head.
BONES OF THE THORACIC LIMB
• Forepaw - The skeleton of the forepaw (manus) includes the
bones of the carpus, metacarpus, phalanges, and certain
sesamoid bones associated with them.
• The carpus is composed of seven bones arranged in two
transverse rows, plus a small medial sesamoid bone.
BONES OF THE THORACIC LIMB
• Metacarpus - The term metacarpus refers to the region of the
manus, or forepaw, located between the carpus and the digits.
• The metacarpal bones (I-V) are typically five in number in
primitive mammals, although supernumerary metacarpal
bones and digits may appear.
BONES OF THE THORACIC LIMB
• Phalanges - The digital skeleton of the forepaw consists of five
units, of which four are fully developed and one is rudimentary.
• The rudimentary first digit is called the dewclaw and in some
breeds such as the St. Bernard it may be double
BONES OF THE THORACIC LIMB
• Sesamoid Bones – On the palmar surface of each
metacarpophalangeal joint of the main digits are two
elongated, slightly curved sesamoid bones that are located in
the tendons of insertion of the interosseus muscles.
BONES OF THE PELVIC LIMB
• Each pelvic limb consists of its half of the pelvic girdle,
composed of the ilium, ischium, pubis, and acetabular bone
fused as the hip bone (os coxae); the thigh, represented by the
femur and the sesamoids associated with the stifle, the crus, or
leg, consisting of the tibia and fibula; and the hindpaw, or pes.
• The pes includes the tarsal bones, metatarsals, and digits
consisting of three phalanges in each, and the sesamoid bones
associated with the phalanges.
• The bony pelvis is formed by the ossa coxarum and the sacrum.
BONES OF THE PELVIC LIMB
• Os Coxae - The os coxae, or hip bone, is composed of four
distinct bones developmentally. These are the ilium, ischium,
pubis, and acetabular bone.
BONES OF THE PELVIC LIMB
• Femur- The femur (os femoris) is the
heaviest bone in the skeleton. In well-
proportioned breeds it is slightly shorter
than the tibia and ulna but is about one-
fifth longer than the humerus.
BONES OF THE PELVIC LIMB
• Sesamoid Bones of the Stifle Joint - The
patella is the largest sesamoid bone in the
body.
• It is ovate in shape and curved so as to
articulate with the trochlear of the femur.
BONES OF THE PELVIC LIMB
• Tibia - The tibia is a long, thick bone that
lies in the medial part of the crus, or
anatomic leg.
• The tibia articulates proximally with the
femur, distally with the tarsus, and on its
lateral side both proximally and distally
with the companion bone of the crus, the
fibula.
BONES OF THE PELVIC LIMB
• Fibula- The fibula is a long, thin, laterally
compressed bone located in the lateral part of
the crus.
• It articulates with the caudolateral part of the
lateral condyle of the tibia proximally and with
the tibia and talus distally.
• It serves mainly for muscle attachment, as it
supports little weight.
BONES OF THE PELVIC LIMB
• Hindpaw - The skeleton of the hindpaw (pes) is composed of
the tarsal and metatarsal bones, the phalanges, and the
sesamoid bones associated with the phalanges.
• The tarsus is composed of bones basically arranged in two
transverse rows. Articulating with the distal surfaces of the
most distally located tarsal bones are the four (sometimes five)
metatarsal bones.
• Each of the four main metatarsal bones bears three phalanges
that, with their associated sesamoid bones, form the skeleton
of each of the four digits.
• The first digit, or hallux, is usually absent in the dog. When it is
fully developed, as it is in some breeds, it contains only two
phalanges. The first digit of the hindpaw is known as the
dewclaw, regardless of its degree of development.
BONES OF THE PELVIC LIMB
• Tarsus - The tarsus, or hock, consists of seven tarsal bones. The
term also applies collectively to the several joints between the
tarsal bones, as well as the region between the crus and the
metatarsus.
BONES OF THE PELVIC LIMB
• Metatarsus - The term metatarsus refers to the region of the
pes, or hindpaw, located between the tarsus and the
phalanges.
• The metatarsal bones (I-V) resemble the corresponding
metacarpal bones in general form.
• Phalanges - The phalanges and sesamoid bones of the hindpaw
are so similar to those of the forepaw that no separate
description is necessary, except for the bones of digit 1.
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