Bone Markings

Primary Purposes

-muscle attachment
-joint formation
-depression/opening for soft tissues

Muscle Attachments

-tuberosity
-crest
-trochanter
-line
-tubercle
-epicondyle
-spine
-process

Tuberosity

Large rounded projection; may be roughened
usually larger than a tubercle

Tubercle

small rounded projection

Process

prominent projection on a bone

spine

sharp, slender, often pointed projection

line

Narrow ridge of bone; less prominent than a crest

crest of bone

prominent ridge or elongated projection

Trochanter

Very large, blunt, irregularly shaped process

epicondyle

Raised area on or above a condyle

Lateral epicondylitis

-tennis elbow
-inflammation of the common extensors with origin at the lateral epicondyle
-frequent resistive extension motion or repetitive activities not trained

Joint Projections

-head
-facet
-condyle
-ramus

Head (bone marking)

prominent, rounded, articulating end of a bone

facet bone marking

smooth, nearly flat articular surface

condyle

A smooth, rounded articular process

ramus

An extension of a bone making an angle with the rest of the structure

Depressions/openings

-groove
-fissure
-foramen
-notch
-meatus
-canal
-sinus
-fossa
-fovea

groove

shallow linear channel

fissure

Narrow, slitlike opening

foramen

Round or oval opening through a bone

notch

indentation at the edge of a bone

meatus

canal-like passageway into the body

Canal bone marking

duct or channel

sinus

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

fossa

a rather large but shallow depression

fovea

tiny pit or depression