A knowledge of skeletal anatomy will be useful to you as you study later chapters. It provides a foundation for studying the gross anatomy of other organ systems because many organs are named for their relationships to nearby bones. The subclavian artery and vein, for example, are located beneath the clavicles; the temporalis muscle is attached to the temporal bone; the ulnar nerve and radial artery travel beside the ulna and radius of the forearm; and the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes of the brain are named for bones of the cranium. An understanding of how the muscles produce body movements also depends on a knowledge of skeletal anatomy. Additionally, the positions, shapes, and processes of bones can serve as landmarks for a clinician in determining where to give an injection or record a pulse, what to look for in an X ray, or how to perform physical therapy and other medical procedures.

This chapter is divided into four sections: (1) the skull, (2) the vertebral column and thoracic cage, (3) the pectoral girdle and upper extremity, and (4) the pelvic girdle and lower extremity. The bones of the first two sections constitute the axial skeleton, and those of the last two constitute the appendicular skeleton. Following each major section is a checklist of skeletal features you should know (tables 9.2, 9.4, 9.5, and 9.7). The terms in each checklist are defined in the pages immediately preceding it.

As you study this chapter, use yourself as a model. You can easily palpate (feel) many of the bones and some of their details through the skin. Rotate your forearm, cross your legs, palpate your skull, and think about what is happening beneath the surface or what you are feeling through the skin. You will gain the most from this chapter (and indeed, the entire book) if you are conscious of your own body at every step.

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