Bone Markings

Tuberosity

Large rounded projection; may be roughened

Tubercle

Small rounded projection or process

Crest

Narrow ridge of bone; usually prominent

Trochanter

very large, blunt, irregularly shaped process (femur)

Line

Narrow ridge of bone; less prominent than a crest

Condyle

Rounded articular projection.

Epicondyle

Raised area on or above a condyle.

Spine

Sharp, slender, often pointed projection.

Process

Any bone prominence.

Head

Bony expansion carried on a narrow neck.

Facet

Smooth, nearly flat articular surface.

Ramus

Armlike bar of bone.

Groove

Furrow

Fissure

Narrow, slitlike opening

Foramen

Round or oval opening through a bone.

Notch

Indentation at the edge of a structure.

Meatus

Canal-like passageway

Sinus

Cavity within a bone, filled with air and lined with mucous membrane.

Fossa

Shallow, basin-like depression in a bone, often serving as an articular surface.

Bone markings

Sites of muscle, ligament and tendon attachment, as joint surfaces, or as conduits for blood vessels and nerves.