The Skeletal System

Maria Jonelyn N. Ramos, DMD

• The skeletal system consists of
bones along with their associated
connective tissue (cartilage,
tendons and ligaments).
• consists of dynamic, living tissues
that are able to grow
• A joint or an ariculation - a place
where two bones cometogether;
some are movable, some have
limited movement
Functions of the Skeletal System
1. Support
2. Protection
3. Movement
4. Storage
5. Blood cell production
Extracellular Matrix
• always contain collagen, ground substance and other organic
molecules as well as water and minerals.
• matrix of tendons and ligaments - large amount of fibers (tough)
• cartilage - collagen and proteoglycans
• bone - collagen, minerals and calcium, phosphate
• minerals in bone - hydroxyapatite(calcium phosphate crystals)
General Features of the Bone
Categories based on shape:
• long - longer than they are wide; upper and lower limbs
• Short - wrist and ankle
• flat - relatively thin and flattened shapel certain skull bones, ribs,
scapulae, sternum
• irregular - vertebrae and facial bones
Structure of Long Bone
• Diaphysis - Central shaft
• Epiphysis - two ends of a long bone
• Articular Cartilage - covers the ends of the ephiphyses
• Epiphyseal plate/Growth Plate - present on growing bone; replace by
epiphyseal line
• Medullary cavity - filled with marrow; yellow marrow(adipose tissue);
red marrow(site of blood formation)
• Periosteum - dense connective tissue covering of the bone with layers
consisting of blood vessels and nerves
• Endosteum - lining of the medullary cavity
Histology of Bone
• Osteoblasts - bone-forming cells in the periosteum and endosteum for
bone repair and remodeling;
• osteocytes; osteoclasts
• lamellae - extracellular matrix
• lacunae - osteocytes
• COMPACT BONE - SOLID MATRIX
• SPONGY BONE (Cancellous bone) - lacy network of bone with many
small, marrow-filled spaces
Compact Bone
• form most of the long bone
• osteons - concentric rings of
lamellae surrounding the
Haversian canal
• Canaliculi - cell processes which
connects the osteocytes
Spongy Bone
• located mainly on the epiphyses
of long bones
• interior of all other bones
• trabeculae - interconnecting
plates of bone ; filled with
marrow; no blood vessesls
Bone Ossification
• formation of bone by osteoblasts
• fetal bone development : Intramembranous and endochondral
ossification
Intramembranous ossification - occurs within connective tissue
membrane; bones of the skull; ossification centers
Endochondral ossification - occurs within the cartilage; bones at the
base of the skull and remaining skeletal system; primary ossification
center, secondary ossification center
Bone Growth
• deposition of new bone lamellae onto existing bone or other
connective tissue
• Appositional growth - Increase in width or diameter ; deposit new
bone matrix on the surface of the bone
• Endochondral growth - growth in the length of the bone; occurs in the
epiphyseal plate
Bone Remodeling
• removal of existing bone by osteoclasts and the deposition of new
bone by osteoblasts
• responsible for changes in bone shape, adjustment to stress and
calcium regulation in the body fluids.
• too much bone deposited - bone thickness increase and might
develop an abnormality
• too litte bone deposited - osteoporosis
Bone Repair
Bone and Calcium Homeostasis
• calcium homeostatis - critical for normal muscle and nervous system
function
• when osteoblast and osteoclast activity is balanced, movement of ca
into and out of a bone are equal
• maintained by 3 hormones:
• Parathyroid hormone (PTH) - parathyroid hormone
• Vitamin D - skin and diet
• Calcitonin - thyroid gland
• PTH
• Stimulates osteoclasts to break down bone
• stimuates kidney to take up calcium from urine and return it to blood
• formation of active vitamin D, promotes calcium absorption from small
intestine

Calcitonin - Decrease blood calcium levels by inhibiting osteoclast activity

General Considerations of Bone Anatomy
• Foramen - a hole in a bone
• canal/meatus - tunnel-like passage throught the bone
• fossa - depression in a bone
• tubercle/tuberosity - lump on a bone
• process- projection from a bone
• tubercles and processes - site of muscle attachment

• skeletal bones division - axial and appendicular

THE AXIAL SKELETON
Skull, vertebral column, and the thoracic cage
THE SKULL
• Braincase - encloses the cranial cavity; 8 bones that surround and
protect the brain; 14 facial bones
• Mandible - freely movable joint of the face
• three auditory ossicles of the ear
The Skull (Lateral View )
• Parietal
• Temporal
(joined together by squamous suture)
• Frontal and coronal (coronal suture)
• Coronal and Occipital (Lambdoid
suture)
• External Auditory Canal
• Mastoid Process
• Sphenoid bone
• Zygomatic Bone (cheekbone)
• Maxilla and Mandible
The Skull (Frontal View)
• Zygomatic bone
• maxilla and mandible
• Orbits and the nasal cavity
• Openings of the ORBIT
• -Superior and Inferior orbital
fissures (Nerves and Blood
Vessels)
• -Optic Foramen (Optic Nerve)
• -Nasolacrimal canal (Tears)
The Skull (Frontal View)
• Nasal septum (Vomer - bony
part; perpendicular part of the
ethmoid)
• Lateral walls of the nasal cavity
( Inferior nasal concha - separate
bone; middle and superior nasal
concha - projections of the
ethmoid bone)
• Paranasal Sinuses - decrease the
weight of the skull and act as
resonating chambers during
voice production
• (Frontal, maxillary, ethmoidal
and sphenoical)
• Mastoid Air Cells - open into the
middle ear ; auditory tube
connects the middle ear to the
naspharynx
Interior of the Cranial Cavity
• 3 cranial fossae (anterior, middle and posterior)
• several foramina can be seen in the floor of the middle fossa
• eg: foramen rotundum and foramen ovale transmits important
vessels and nerves of the face; foramen magnum - Spinal Cord
Base of Skull Viewed from Below
The Hyoid Bone
• unpaired, U-shaped Bone
• not part of the skull and has no
direct bony attachment to the
skull
• attachment for some tongue
muscles, neck muscles
Vertebral Column (Back Bone)
• central axis of the skeleton,
extending from the base of the
skull to slightly past the end of
the pelvis
• 26 individual bones
• 7 cervical vertebrae, 12
thoracic, 5 lumbar, 1 sacral and
1 coccyx bone(5 to 3-4
individual bones)
• Five Major functions of the vertebral
column
1. Supports the weight of the head
and trunk
2. protects the spinal cord
3. allows spinal nerves to exit the
spinal cord
4. Provides a site for muscle
attachment
5. permits movement of the head and
trunk
 General Plan of the Vertebrae
• Each vertebra consists of a body, an arch
and various processes
• Body - Weight bearing portion
• Intervertebral Disks - Separate the
vertebral bodies; formed by fibrocartilage
• Vertebral Arch surrounds the Vertebral
Foramen (vertebral canal)
• 2 pedicles
• 2 laminae
• single spinous process
• Intervertebral foramina
• Articular Process (Articular Facet)
RIB CAGE
• Protects the vital organs within
thorax and prevents the collapse
of the thorax during respiration
• Consists of the thoracic
vertebrae, ribs and associated
cartilages and sternum
Ribs and Costal Cartilages
• 12 pairs of ribs divided into true and false ribs
• TRUE RIBS - 1-7 ; attach directly to thesternum by means of
costal cartilages
• FALSE RIBS - 8 -12 , dont attach directly to the sternum; thru
common cartilages
• RIB 11 and 12, floating ribs
Sternum (Breastbone)
• MANUBRIUM
• BODY
• XIPHOID PROCESS
• Jugular notch - where the
sternum articulates with the
sternum
• sternal Angle - location of the
2nd rib
The Appendicular Skeleton
Bones of the upper and lower Limbs, girdles
Pectoral Girdle (Shoulder Girdle)
• 2 scapulae ; 2 clavicle (attach the
upper limb to the body)
• scapula (shoulder blade) - flat
triangular bone with 3 large fossae
• glenoid fossa - where head of humerus
is connected
• spine
• acromion process - point of the
shoulder
• Clavicle (Collarbone) -first bone to
begin ossification in the fetus but last
to complete
• coracoid process - attachment of arm
and chest muscles
UPPER LIMB (Arm)
• Humerus
• head - attaches to the scapula
• anatomical neck
• great tubercle and lesser
tubercle
• deltoid tuberosity
• epicondyles - provide
attachment for forearm muscles
Upper Limb (Forearm)
• RADIUS - lateral side
• ULNA - Medial Side
• Trochlear notch - elbow joint
• Olecranon Process - point of the
elbow
• coronoid process

• Styloid process
• radial tuberosity
Upper Limb (Wrist)
• Short region between the
forearm and the hand

• 8 carpal bones (scaphoid, lunate,

triquetrum, pisiform, trapezium,
trapezoid, capitate and hamate)
Upper Limb (Hand)
• 5 metacarpal bone - bony
framework of the hand
• 5 digits - the thumb and the
finger
• finger - phalanges (proximal,
middle and distal)
Pelvic Girdle
• where the lower limb attach to the
body
• R & L COXAL Bone (Hip bone) - ilium,
ischium, and pubis
• iliac crest, ant/sup iliac spine
• pubic symphysis
• acetabulum
• obturator foramen
• sacrum
• Pelvis - includes the pelvic girdle and
coccyx
LOWER LIMB (THIGH)
• region between the hip and the knee
• Femur
• head (articulates with the
acetabulum of the hipbone)
• condyles (articulate with the tibia)
• neck (between the head and the
trochanter)
• patella (kneecap - located within the
major tendon of the anterior thigh
muscles and enables the tendon to
bend over the knee
Lower Limb (Leg)
• region between the knee and
the ankle
• TIBIA -Larger; major weight-
bearing bone of the leg
• FIBULA - head is attached to the
proximal end of the tibia
• Medial malleolus (tibia)
• Lateral Malleolus (Fibula)
Lower Limb (Ankle and Foot)
• The ankle consists of several • Metatarsal bones and phalanges
tarsal bones of the foot
• TALUS, CALCANEUS, CUBOID,
NAVICULAR,
CUNEIFORMS(medial,
intermediate, lateral)
• talus (articulates with the tibia
and fibula - ankle joint)
• calcaneus (heel)
Stick to the plan. You know
it’s not gonna be easy. ;-)