Library · Anatomy
Skeleton of the arms and legs
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The skeleton is divided into two main groups, a little like a tree is divided into its trunk and its branches. One is the axial skeleton, the one along the body's axis. The other is the appendicular skeleton, the one made up of the appendages, meaning the arms and the legs. Of the 206 bones an adult has, 126 belong to this second group.
The shoulder and the hip are the segments that connect one group to the other. Mechanical load, which is weight and force, passes through them between the limbs and the axis, and that is why they are essential.
Each group is built for something different. The appendicular skeleton is specialized for moving us and getting us from place to place. The legs carry the body's weight. The arms are built for handling objects and for fine motor control, the precise movements of the hand.
In brief
The appendicular skeleton is one of the body's two main bone groups, alongside the axial skeleton, and it comprises the upper and lower limbs: 126 of the 206 bones in an adult.
The shoulder and the hip are the segments that connect it to the axial skeleton, and they are essential for transferring mechanical load.
It is specialized for mobility and locomotion: the legs carry the body's weight, and the arms are built for handling objects and for fine motor control.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingAnatomy, Appendicular Skeleton, StatPearlsPublished
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