The Skeletal

System:
Structure, Function,
and Diseases
of the bones and
joints
 Is this the correct anatomical position?

The answer is? What is your answer?

 The Skeletal System
 Parts of the skeletal system
 Bones (skeleton)
 Joints
 Cartilages
 Ligaments (bone to bone)(tendon=bone to
muscle)
 Divided into two divisions
 Axial skeleton- skull, spinal column
 Appendicular skeleton – limbs and girdle
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 Functions of Bones

 Support of the body

 Protection of soft organs
 Movement due to attached skeletal
muscles
 Storage of minerals and fats
 Blood cell formation
Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
 Bones of the Human Body
 The skeleton has 206 bones
 Two basic types of bone tissue
 Compact bone
 Homogeneous
 Spongy bone
 Small needle-like
pieces of bone
Figure 5.2b

 Many open spaces

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Bones are classified by their
shape:
1.Long- bones are longer than
they are wide (arms, legs)
2.Short- usually square in
shape, cube like (wrist, ankle)
3.Flat- flat , curved (skull,
Sternum)
4.Irregular- odd shapes
(vertebrae, pelvis)
 Classification of Bones on the
Basis of Shape

Figure 5.1

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 Types of Bone Cells
 Osteocytes
 Mature bone cells
 Osteoblasts
 Bone-forming cells
 Osteoclasts
 Bone-destroying cells
 Break down bone matrix for remodeling and
release of calcium
 Bone remodeling is a process by both
osteoblasts and osteoclasts
Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
 Changes in the Human Skeleton
 In embryos, the skeleton is primarily
hyaline cartilage
 During development, much of this cartilage
is replaced by bone
 Cartilage remains in isolated areas
 Bridge of the nose
 Parts of ribs
 Joints
Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
Axial skeleton supports and
protects organs of head, neck
and trunk
Axial skeleton:
skull (cranium and facial bones)
hyoid bone (anchors tongue and
muscles associated with swallowing)
vertebral column (vertebrae and
disks)
bony thorax (ribs and sternum)
Appendicular skeleton includes
bones of limbs and
bones that anchor them to the
axial skeleton
Appendicular skeleton:
pectoral girdle (clavicle,
scapula)
upper limbs (arms)
pelvic girdle (sacrum, coccyx)
lower limbs (legs)
Articulation- where joints meet,
connect, and are formed.
 The Axial Skeleton
 Forms the longitudinal part of the body
 Divided into three parts
 Skull
 Vertebral Column
 Rib Cage

Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 5.20a
 The Axial Skeleton

Figure 5.6
Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 5.20b
The Skull
•8 sutured bones in cranium
•Facial bones: 13 sutured
bones 1 mandible

Cranium
encases brain
attachments for muscles
sinuses
 Bones of the Skull

Figure 5.11

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Allows for
growth
 Paranasal Sinuses
 Hollow portions of bones surrounding
the nasal cavity

Figure 5.10

Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 5.25a
The Hyoid Bone
 U shaped bone situated at the root of the tongue in the
front of the neck and betweent the lower jaw
and the largest cartilage of the larynx.
 The only bone that does
not articulate with another
bone

 Serves as a moveable base

for the tongue, and other
muscle attachments

 Serve as an anchoring
structure for the tongue.
Figure 5.12
Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 5.26
 The Vertebral Column
 Vertebrae
separated by
intervertebral discs
made of cartilage
 The spine has a
normal S curvature
 Each vertebrae is
given a name
according to its
location Figure 5.14

Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 5.28
Thoracic cage
ribs
thoracic
Vertebrae
sternum
costal cartilages

•True ribs are directly

attached to the
sternum
(first seven pairs)
•Three false ribs are
joined to the 7th rib
•Two pairs of floating
ribs
 Joints
A joint, or articulation, is the place where two
bones come together.

• Fibrous- Immovable:connect bones, no

movement. (skull and pelvis).
• Cartilaginous- slightly movable, bones are
attached by cartilage, a little movement (spine
or ribs).
• Synovial- freely movable, much more
movement than cartilaginous joints. Cavities
between bones are filled with synovial fluid.
This fluid helps lubricate and protect the
bones.
 The Synovial Joint

Figure 5.28

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 Types of Synovial Joints Based on
Shape

Figure 5.29a–c

Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 5.52a
 Types of Synovial Joints Based on
Shape

Figure 5.29d–f

Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 5.52b
 Types of Joints
Hinge- A hinge joint allows extension and
retraction of an appendage. (Elbow,
Knee)
Ball and Socket- A ball and socket joint
allows for radial movement in almost
any direction. They are found in the hips
and shoulders. (Hip, Shoulder)
Gliding- In a gliding or plane joint bones
slide past each other. Mid-carpal and mid-
tarsal joints are gliding joints. (Hands,
Feet)
Saddle- This type of joint occurs when
the touching surfaces of two bones have
both concave and convex regions with
the shapes of the two bones
complementing one other and allowing
a wide range of movement. (Thumb)
 Diseases and
Conditions
of the Skeletal
System
• Bone Fractures
 A break in a bone
 Types of bone fractures
 Closed (simple) fracture – break that does not
penetrate the skin
 Open (compound) fracture – broken bone penetrates
through the skin
 Greenstick- frays, hard to repair, breaks like a green
twig
 Bone fractures are treated by reduction and
immobilization
 Realignment of the bone
Arthritis
 Bursitis
• Inflammation of the Bursa (fluid
filled sac surrounding the joint).
• A bursa can become inflamed from
injury, infection (rare in the
shoulder), or due to an underlying
rheumatic condition.
• Bursitis is typically identified by
localized pain or swelling,
tenderness, and pain with motion
of the tissues in the affected area.
 Tendonitis
• Sometimes the tendons become inflamed
for a variety of reasons, and the action of
pulling the muscle becomes irritating. If
the normal smooth gliding motion of your
tendon is impaired, the tendon will
become inflamed and movement will
become painful. This is called
tendonitis, and literally means
inflammation of the tendon.
• The most common cause of tendonitis is
overuse.
 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Any condition that causes swelling
or a change in position of the tissue
within the carpal tunnel can
squeeze and irritate the median
nerve. Irritation of the median nerve
in this manner causes tingling and
numbness of the thumb, index, and
the middle fingers, a condition
known as "carpal tunnel syndrome."
 Osteoporosis
• Osteoporosis is a term that means
"porous bones." It is a skeletal disease
affecting women and men. Osteoporosis
is a condition in which bones have lost
minerals especially calcium ﾑ making
them weaker, more brittle, and
susceptible to fractures (broken bones).
Any bone in the body can be affected by
osteoporosis, but the most common
places where fractures occur are the
back (spine), hips, and wrists.
 Scoliosis
• Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of
the spine. If your child has scoliosis, the
view from behind may reveal one or
more abnormal curves.Scoliosis runs in
families, but doctors often don't know
the cause. More girls than boys have
severe scoliosis. Adult scoliosis may be
a worsening of a condition that began in
childhood, but wasn't diagnosed or
treated. In other cases, scoliosis may
result from a degenerative joint
condition in the spine.
 Kyphosis
• With kyphosis, your spine may look
normal or you may develop a hump.
Kyphosis can occur as a result of
developmental problems; degenerative
diseases, such as arthritis of the spine;
osteoporosis with compression fractures
of the vertebrae; or trauma to the spine.
It can affect children, adolescents and
adults.
 Lordosis
• A normal spine, when viewed from
behind appears straight. However,
a spine affected by lordosis shows
evidence of a curvature of the
back bones (vertebrae) in the
lower back area, giving the child a
"swayback" appearance.
 Tuberculosis of the
Spine- Pott’s Disease
• As a form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis that impacts
the spine, Pott’s disease has an effect that is sometimes
described as being a sort of arthritis for the vertebrae
that make up the spinal column. More properly known
as tuberculosis spondylitis, Pott’s disease is named after
Dr. Percivall Pott, an eighteenth century surgeon who
was considered an authority in issues related to the
back and spine.Pott's disease is often experienced as a
local phenomenon that begins in the thoracic section of
the spinal column. Early signs of the presence of Pott’s
disease generally begin with back pain that may seem
to be due to simple muscle strain. However, in short
order, the symptoms will begin to multiply.
 Rickets
• Rickets is the softening and
weakening of bones in children,
usually because of an extreme and
prolonged vitamin D deficiency.
• Some skeletal deformities caused
by rickets may need corrective
surgery.
 Scurvy
• The human body lacks the ability to
synthesize and make vitamin C and
therefore depends on exogenous dietary
sources to meet vitamin C needs.
Consumption of fruits and vegetables or
diets fortified with vitamin C are essential
to avoid ascorbic acid deficiency. Even
though scurvy is uncommon, it still occurs
and can affect adults and children who
have chronic dietary vitamin C deficiency.
 Gout
• Gout is a disease that results from an
overload of uric acid in the body. This
overload of uric acid leads to the formation
of tiny crystals of urate that deposit in
tissues of the body, especially the joints.
When crystals form in the joints it causes
recurring attacks of joint inflammation
(arthritis). Chronic gout can also lead to
deposits of hard lumps of uric acid in and
around the joints and may cause joint
destruction, decreased kidney function, and
kidney stones.
 Acromegaly
• Acromegaly is a serious condition that occurs
when the body produces too much of the
hormones that control growth. ･ The hormone
most often affected is called growth hormone,
or GH. It ﾊ is produced by the pituitary gland, a
tiny organ at the base of the brain. ･･ Growth
hormone ﾊ promotes growth of bone, cartilage,
muscle, organs, and other tissues. ･･ When
there is too much growth hormone in the body,
these tissues grow larger than normal. This
excessive growth can cause serious disease
and even premature death.
 Poliomyelitis
• Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious disease caused by a
virus. It invades the nervous system, and can cause total paralysis
in a matter of hours. It can strike at any age, but affects mainly
children under three (over 50% of all cases). The virus enters the
body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. Initial
symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the
neck and pain in the limbs. One in 200 infections leads to
irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs). Amongst those
paralysed, 5%-10% die when their breathing muscles become
immobilized. Although polio paralysis is the most visible sign of
polio infection, fewer than 1% of polio infections ever result in
paralysis. Poliovirus can spread widely before cases of paralysis
are seen. As most people infected with poliovirus have no signs of
illness, they are never aware they have been infected. After initial
infection with poliovirus, the virus is shed intermittently in faeces
(excrement) for several weeks. During that time, polio can spread
rapidly through the community.
 Spina Bifida
• Spina bifida is a birth defect that involves
the incomplete development of the spinal
cord or its coverings. The term spina
bifida comes from Latin and literally
means "split" or "open" spine.Spina bifida
occurs at the end of the first month of
pregnancy when the two sides of the ﾊ
embryo's spine fail to join together,
leaving an open area. In some cases, the
spinal cord or other membranes may
push through this opening in the back.
The condition usually is ﾊ detected before
a baby is born and treated right away.
 Talipes Equinovarus-
“Clubfoot”
• Clubfoot is a deformity of the whole foot
that is present at birth. There are several
types of clubfoot that are jointly known as
'talipes', as the deformity is mostly in the
talus (a bone in the ankle). The most
common of the talipes is what is known as
"talipes equino varus" - it is so common
that the word clubfoot is commonly used
to refer to this. In talipes equino varus, the
child is born with the foot pointing down
and twisted inwards at the ankle.
 Sarcoma
• Osteosarcoma-The most common
type of bone cancer. It arises in
bone and is most commonly found
in children and adolescents but a
rare form occurs in adults,
particularly in patients who have
been cured of other cancers with
radiation therapy.
 Myeloma
• Multiple myeloma is a cancer in which
abnormal cells collect in the bone marrow and
form tumors. Sometimes these abnormal cells
(called myeloma cells) collect in only one bone
and form a single tumor known as a
plasmacytoma. However, in most cases, the
myeloma cells collect in many bones, forming
several tumors and causing other problems.
When this happens, the disease is called
multiple myeloma.
 Leukemia
• Leukemia is cancer of the blood cells. It starts
in the bone marrow, the soft tissue inside most
bones. Bone marrow is where blood cells are
made.When you are healthy, your bone
marrow makes: ･ White blood cells, which help
your body fight infection. ･ Red blood cells,
which carry oxygen to all parts of your body. ･
Platelets, which help your blood clot.When you
have leukemia, the bone marrow starts to
make a lot of abnormal white blood cells,
called leukemia cells. They don't do the work
of normal white blood cells, they grow faster
than normal cells, and they don't stop growing
when they should.
Bone Marrow Biopsy