List of bones of the human skeleton



A typical adult human skeleton consists of 206 bones, not counting many small and often variable sesamoid bones and ossicles. Individuals may have more or fewer bones than this owing to anatomical variations. The most common variations include additional (i.e. supernumerary) cervical ribs or lumbar vertebrae. Sesamoid bone counts also may vary among individuals. The figure of 206 bones is commonly repeated, but must be noted to have some peculiarities in its method of counting. As noted below, the craniofacial bones are counted separately despite the synostoses, which occur naturally in the skull. Some reliable sesamoid bones (e.g., pisiform) are counted, while others (e.g., hallux sesamoids) are not. The count of bones also changes with age, as multiple ossific nuclei joined by synchondroses fuse into fewer mature bones, a process which typically reaches completion in the third decade of life.

Vertebral column

 * The vertebral column (26 bones)
 * General characteristics of a vertebra
 * The cervical vertebrae (7)
 * The thoracic vertebrae (12)
 * The lumbar vertebrae (5)
 * The sacral vertebrae (5 at birth, later fused into one and counted with the hips, below.)
 * The coccygeal vertebrae (4 at birth, later fused into one and counted with the hips, below.)

Chest

 * The vertebral column as a whole
 * The thorax
 * The sternum (1)
 * The ribs (24, in 12 pairs), including:
 * [7] pairs directly attached to the sternum(1st-7th pairs), also known as True ribs.
 * [3] pairs (8th,9th and 10th pairs), also known as False ribs are attached anteriorly to each other and to the 7th rib by cartilages and synovial joints
 * [2]pairs of floating ribs (11th and 12th pairs), have no anterior attachment.

Head

 * The skull
 * The cranial bones (8)
 * The occipital bone
 * The parietal bones (2)
 * The frontal bone
 * The temporal bones (2)
 * The sphenoid bone (sometimes counted as facial)
 * The ethmoid bone (sometimes counted as facial)
 * The facial bones (15)
 * The nasal bones (2)
 * The maxillae (upper jaw) (2)
 * The lacrimal bone (2)
 * The zygomatic bone (2)
 * The palatine bone (2)
 * The inferior nasal concha (2)
 * The vomer
 * The mandible (lower jaw)
 * The hyoid bone (sometimes not counted as facial)
 * The exterior of the skull
 * The interior of the skull
 * In the middle ears (6):
 * malleus (2)
 * incus (2)
 * stapes (2)

Arm

 * The bones of the upper extremity
 * The clavicle
 * The scapula
 * The humerus
 * The ulna
 * The radius
 * The hand (54 bones, 27 in each hand)
 * The carpus
 * scaphoid bone (2)
 * lunate bone (2)
 * triquetrum bone (2)
 * pisiform bone (2)
 * trapezium (2)
 * trapezoid bone (2)
 * capitate bone (2)
 * hamate bone (2)
 * The metacarpus (5 × 2)
 * The phalanges of the hand
 * proximal phalanges (5 × 2)
 * intermediate phalanges (4 × 2)
 * distal phalanges (5 × 2)

Leg

 * The hip bone, comprising the fused ilium, ischium, and pubis (2)
 * The pelvis
 * The femur
 * The patella or knee cap
 * The tibia
 * The fibula
 * The foot (52 bones in total, 26 per foot)
 * The tarsus
 * calcaneus or heel bone (2)
 * talus (2)
 * navicular bone (2)
 * medial cuneiform bone (2)
 * intermediate cuneiform bone (2)
 * lateral cuneiform bone (2)
 * cuboid bone (2)
 * The metatarsus
 * The phalanges of the foot
 * proximal phalanges (5 × 2)
 * intermediate phalanges (4 x 2)
 * distal phalanges (5 x 2)
 * The sesamoid bones