Anatomical terms of bone

Many anatomical terms describing to bone are anatomical terminology, often derived from Greek and Latin, that serve to describe bone.

Protrusions

Process, tubercle, condyle, epicondyle, malleolus, eminence

Articulations

Rounded

|- |- |- | eminence|| A relatively small projection or bump. |-

| condyle|| A large, rounded articular process. | epicondyle|| A projection near to a condyle but not part of the joint. |- | facet|| A small, flattened articular surface. |- |- |-

|- |- | process|| A relatively large projection or prominent bump.(gen.) |- | ramus|| An arm-like branch off the body of a bone. |- | tubercle|| A projection or bump with a roughened surface, generally smaller than a tuberosity. |- | tuberosity|| A projection or bump with a roughened surface. |}

Pointed

| crest|| A prominent ridge.

| line|| A long, thin projection, often with a rough surface. Also known as a ridge.

| spine|| A relatively long, thin projection or bump.

Special

| malleolus|| One of two specific protuberances of bones in the ankle. | trochanter|| One of two specific tuberosities located on the femur. |-

Cavities

Openings

The following terms are used to describe cavities that connect to other areas:

A foramen (/fəˈreɪmən/; pl. foramina, /fəˈræmənə/) is any opening. Foramina inside the body of humans and other animals typically allow muscles, nerves, arteries, veins, or other structures to connect one part of the body with another.

A canal is a long, tunnel-like foramen, usually a passage for notable nerves or blood vessels.

Blind-ended

The following terms are used to describe cavities that do not connect to other areas:

A fossa (/ˈfɒsə/; plural fossas /ˈfɒsəz/, or fossae (/ˈfɒsiː/ or /ˈfɒsaɪ/); from the Latin "fossa", ditch or trench) is a depression or hollow, usually in a bone, such as the hypophyseal fossa, the depression in the sphenoid bone.

| meatus|| A short canal that finishes as a dead end, so it has only the entrance. |-| fovea|| A small pit on the head of a bone.

Walls

The following terms are used to describe the walls of a cavity:

| labyrinth|| A cavity within a bone. | sinus|| A cavity within a cranial bone.

Relationship with other bones

Articulation

| articular process|| A projection that contacts an adjacent bone. |- | articulation|| The region where adjacent bones contact each other — a joint. |- | suture|| Articulation between cranial bones.

Features of Long Bones

Gross features

Head, neck, body, base

Internal regions

Bone feature	Definition
diaphysis	The long, relatively straight main body of a long bone; region of primary ossification. Also known as the shaft.
epiphysis	The end regions of a long bone; regions of secondary ossification.
epiphyseal plate	Also known as the growth plate or physis. In a long bone it is a thin disc of hyaline cartilage that is positioned transversely between the epiphysis and metaphysis. In the long bones of humans, the epiphyseal plate disappears by twenty years of age.
head	The proximal articular end of the bone.
metaphysis	The region of a long bone lying between the epiphysis and diaphysis.
neck	The region of bone between the head and the shaft.

Cortex, medulla

Regions

Head, Neck, Body, Base

Types of bone

Long, flat, compact