• 16 parts
  • Checked September 2026

Elbow Anatomy Quiz

Name the bones that meet at the elbow, then the ligaments that hold them together.

Elbow Anatomy Quiz

Name Date

Tap the annular ligament

1 of 10

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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Humerus (upper arm bone)
  2. Radius
  3. Ulna
  4. Medial epicondyle
  5. Lateral epicondyle
  6. Trochlea
  7. Capitulum
  8. Head of the radius
  9. Annular ligament
  10. Radial collateral ligament
  11. Olecranon
  12. Coronoid process
  13. Ulnar collateral ligament, anterior band
  14. Ulnar collateral ligament, posterior band
  15. Triceps tendon
  16. Joint capsule

Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

Next step Next: the two forearm bones, end to end

All 16 parts on the diagram

Show the list

From the front 10

  1. Humerus (upper arm bone) The bone of the upper arm. Its lower end widens into a pulley and a knob that meet the two forearm bones.
  2. Radius The forearm bone on the thumb side. Its round head turns against the humerus and the ulna.
  3. Ulna The forearm bone on the little-finger side. It grips the pulley of the humerus and makes the hinge.
  4. Medial epicondyle The knob on the inner side of the humerus. The ulnar collateral ligament starts on it.
  5. Lateral epicondyle The knob on the outer side of the humerus. The radial collateral ligament starts on it.
  6. Trochlea The pulley-shaped surface at the end of the humerus. The ulna hinges on it.
  7. Capitulum The rounded knob beside the trochlea. The head of the radius meets it.
  8. Head of the radius The disc-shaped top of the radius. It spins inside the annular ligament when the forearm turns.
  9. Annular ligament A ring of ligament round the head of the radius. It holds the head against the ulna.
  10. Radial collateral ligament A band on the outer side of the elbow. It runs from the lateral epicondyle down into the annular ligament.

From the inner side 6

  1. Olecranon The hook at the top of the ulna, behind the humerus. The triceps tendon ends on it.
  2. Coronoid process The lip at the front of the notch in the ulna. With the olecranon it grips the trochlea.
  3. Ulnar collateral ligament, anterior band The front part of the inner side ligament. It runs from medial epicondyle to coronoid process.
  4. Ulnar collateral ligament, posterior band The back part of the inner side ligament. It fans out from medial epicondyle to olecranon.
  5. Triceps tendon The tendon of the muscle on the back of the upper arm. It ends on the olecranon and straightens the elbow.
  6. Joint capsule A fibrous sleeve round the whole joint. It is thickened at each side to form the collateral ligaments.

How this list was compiled: Every name and detail line was checked on 2026-09-30 against TeachMeAnatomy, The Elbow Joint, https://teachmeanatomy.info/upper-limb/joints/elbow-joint/; Gray, Anatomy of the Human Body, 20th edition, 1918 (public domain), the sections on the elbow joint and the proximal radioulnar articulation, https://archive.org/details/anatomyofhumanbo00grayrich; Kenhub, Elbow joint, https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/elbow-joint; and Wikipedia, Elbow, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elbow. The wording is in our own words. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

A right elbow drawn twice: from the front with the arm straight, and from the inner side with the elbow bent. Sixteen parts to find and name, bones first and then the ligaments.

Read the full guide

From the front: a pulley and a knob

The humerus ends in two surfaces. The ulna hinges on the trochlea, and the head of the radius meets the capitulum. The annular ligament rings the head of the radius, and the radial collateral ligament runs down to it from the lateral epicondyle.

From the inner side: the hinge, bent

The ulna grips the trochlea between the olecranon behind and the coronoid process in front. The ulnar collateral ligament spreads from the medial epicondyle in two bands, one to each. The triceps tendon comes down to the olecranon.

  • Capitulum meets radius, trochlea meets ulna.
  • Each collateral ligament is named for the forearm bone on its side: radial on the thumb side, ulnar on the other.

Questions and answers

What bones make up the elbow joint?

Three: the upper arm's humerus, and the radius and ulna of the forearm. The ulna meets the trochlea of the humerus and the radius meets the capitulum, all inside one joint capsule.

What are the ligaments of the elbow?

Two collateral ligaments strengthen the sides of the capsule: the ulnar collateral on the inner side and the radial collateral on the outer side. The annular ligament rings the head of the radius and holds it against the ulna.

What kind of joint is the elbow?

A hinge joint: it bends and straightens. Turning the forearm, palm up or palm down, happens at the joint between the radius and the ulna, which shares the same capsule.

What does the annular ligament do?

It is a ring of ligament round the head of the radius. It holds the head against the side of the ulna and lets it spin there when the forearm turns.

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