Humerus Bone Unlabeled, Front and Back

The upper arm bone from the front and from behind: 15 landmarks to name.

Humerus Bone Unlabeled, Front and Back

Name Date

Tap the deltoid tuberosity

1 of 10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
More options

Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Head of the humerus
  2. Anatomical neck
  3. Greater tubercle
  4. Lesser tubercle
  5. Intertubercular sulcus
  6. Surgical neck
  7. Shaft
  8. Deltoid tuberosity
  9. Medial epicondyle
  10. Lateral epicondyle
  11. Trochlea
  12. Capitulum
  13. Coronoid fossa
  14. Radial fossa
  15. Olecranon fossa

Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-26. 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 below it

All 15 parts on the diagram

Show the list

Start here: 7 main parts 7

  1. Head of the humerus The large, round, smooth end that faces the body. It fits the glenoid cavity of the scapula to form the shoulder joint.
  2. Greater tubercle The larger knob on the top of the humerus, lateral side. Shoulder muscles attach here.
  3. Lesser tubercle The smaller knob on the front of the top of the humerus. Shoulder muscles attach here too.
  4. Surgical neck Where the expanded top of the humerus joins the narrow shaft. A common place for the arm to break.
  5. Deltoid tuberosity A rough V-shaped area halfway down the lateral side of the shaft. The deltoid muscle attaches here.
  6. Medial epicondyle The large bump on the medial side of the lower end. The forearm's grasping muscles start here.
  7. Trochlea The pulley-shaped surface on the medial side of the lower end. It joins the ulna.

The shoulder end: 6 2

  1. Anatomical neck The smooth head's margin, where it meets the rest of the bone.
  2. Intertubercular sulcus The narrow groove between the tubercles. A tendon of the biceps brachii runs in it, so it is also called the bicipital groove.

The shaft: 2 1

  1. Shaft The long, narrow body of the humerus between its two ends.

The elbow end: 7 5

  1. Lateral epicondyle The smaller bump on the lateral side of the lower end. It is for the muscles on the back of the forearm.
  2. Capitulum The small rounded knob beside the trochlea, which joins the radius. The name means small head.
  3. Coronoid fossa A small hollow above the trochlea. It takes the ulna's coronoid process when the elbow bends.
  4. Radial fossa A small hollow above the capitulum. It takes the head of the radius when the elbow bends.
  5. Olecranon fossa A large hollow on the back of the lower end. It takes the ulna's olecranon when the elbow straightens.

How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-26. OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, section 8.2 Bones of the Upper Limb, https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/8-2-bones-of-the-upper-limb : the head of the humerus facing medially and joining the glenoid cavity; the anatomical neck as the margin of the head; the greater tubercle laterally and the lesser tubercle anteriorly, both for shoulder muscles; the intertubercular groove (bicipital groove) between them for a biceps brachii tendon; the surgical neck where the proximal end joins the shaft, a common fracture site; the deltoid tuberosity, V-shaped, lateral, mid-shaft, for the deltoid; the medial epicondyle larger, where the anterior forearm grasping muscles arise, the lateral epicondyle smaller for the posterior forearm muscles; the trochlea (pulley) joining the ulna and the capitulum (small head) joining the radius; the coronoid fossa above the trochlea for the coronoid process, the radial fossa above the capitulum for the radial head, both in flexion; the olecranon fossa on the back for the olecranon in extension. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-26. Own work, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

The humerus bone unlabeled, front and back: the right upper arm bone with the shoulder end at the top and the elbow end below. Start with the 7 main parts, then every landmark, from the anatomical neck to the olecranon fossa.

Read the full guide

The shoulder end

The head faces the body and fits the scapula. Its edge is the anatomical neck. The greater tubercle is on the outer side, the lesser tubercle on the front, with the intertubercular sulcus between. The surgical neck is where the top narrows to the shaft.

The elbow end

The medial epicondyle is the big bump on the body side; the lateral epicondyle is smaller. The trochlea joins the ulna and the capitulum joins the radius. Three hollows take the forearm bones as the elbow bends and straightens.

  • Trochlea means pulley and meets the ulna; capitulum means small head and meets the radius.

Questions and answers

What is the difference between the anatomical neck and the surgical neck?

The anatomical neck is the edge of the smooth head. The surgical neck is lower, where the wide top narrows into the shaft, and is a common place for the arm to break.

Which side is medial on the humerus?

The side the head faces, toward the body. The larger epicondyle and the trochlea are on the medial side too.

What fits into the olecranon fossa?

The olecranon of the ulna, when the elbow is straightened. The coronoid and radial fossae on the front take the ulna and radius when it bends.

More quizzes

Show 6 more

Browse Human Body Quizzes