Bone
Humerus
Long bone linking shoulder and elbow
High-yield
Three nerve relationships are useful: axillary nerve near the surgical neck, radial nerve along the posterior shaft groove, and ulnar nerve behind the medial epicondyle.
Overview
The humeral head meets the scapula at the shoulder. At its opposite end, separate joint surfaces meet the radius and ulna. The shaft and its projections provide attachment sites for muscles that move both joints.
Reference facts
- Bone type
- A long bone with an expanded end at each joint
- Key landmarks
- Proximal head and anatomical neck; greater and lesser tubercles with the bicipital groove between them; surgical neck; deltoid tuberosity and radial groove on the shaft; distal epicondyles, capitulum, trochlea and radial, coronoid and olecranon fossae
- Articulations
- Head with the scapular glenoid; capitulum with the radial head; trochlea with the ulnar trochlear notch
Clinical correlation
A displaced fracture near the surgical neck can injure the axillary nerve or nearby circumflex humeral vessels. These structures are close to the bone, so nerve and blood-vessel assessment forms part of the clinical examination.
Frequently asked questions
What type of bone is the humerus?
A long bone with an expanded end at each joint.
What does the humerus articulate with?
Head with the scapular glenoid; capitulum with the radial head; trochlea with the ulnar trochlear notch.
What are the key landmarks of the humerus?
Proximal head and anatomical neck; greater and lesser tubercles with the bicipital groove between them; surgical neck; deltoid tuberosity and radial groove on the shaft; distal epicondyles, capitulum, trochlea and radial, coronoid and olecranon fossae.