Skeletal

System
Romel M. Durante, RN, MAN ( c )
Clinical Instructor

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 Learning Outcomes
1. Explain the general functions of the skeletal system.
2. Explain the structural difference between compact
bone and spongy bone.
3. Outline the process of bone ossification, growth,
remodeling, and repair.
4. Name and describe the bones of the axial and
appendicular skeleton
5. Identify different joints and their relationship to
movement
6. Describe the effects of aging on bone matrix and
joints. 2
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 Chapter 6-Skeletal System

Functions
1. Support
2. Protect
3. Movement
4. Storage
5. Blood cell production

3
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 Components of Skeletal System
• Bone

• Cartilage:
reduce friction and model for bone formation

• Tendons:
attach bone to muscle

• Ligaments:
attach bone to bone 4
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• Bone’s extracellular matrix is collagen and
minerals (flexible and able to bear weight)

• Cartilage’s extracellular matrix is collagen and

proteoglycans (good shock absorber)

• Tendons and ligaments’ extracellular matrix is

collagen (very tough)

5
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 Classification of Bones

• Based on shape:
long, short, flat, irregular

• Type of bone tissue:

compact and spongy (cancellous)

6
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 Long Bone Structures
• Diaphysis:
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– shaft Articular cartilage

Epiphysis

– compact bone Epiphyseal plates

in juveniles

tissue (on outside)

• Epiphysis: Spongy bone

– ends
Compact bone

Medullary cavity (contains

– spongy bone tissue

Diaphysis red marrow in juveniles and
yellow marrow in adults)

• Articular cartilage: Periosteum

Endosteum

- covers epiphyses Young bone

- reduces friction (a)

7
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• Epiphyseal plate:
– site of growth
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Articular cartilage
Epiphysis

– between diaphysis
and epiphysis Epiphyseal lines
in adults

Spongy bone

Compact bone

• Medullary cavity: Medullary cavity (contains

red marrow in juveniles and
yellow marrow in adults)
Diaphysis

– center of diaphysis Periosteum

Endosteum

– red or yellow
marrow (b)
Adult bone

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• Periosteum:
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Articular cartilage
Epiphysis

membrane around Epiphyseal plates

in juveniles

bone’s outer surface

Spongy bone

Compact bone

• Endosteum: Medullary cavity (contains

Diaphysis red marrow in juveniles and

membrane that lines yellow marrow in adults)

Periosteum
medullary cavity Endosteum

Young bone

(a)

9
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 Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission required for reproduction or display.
Articular cartilage

Epiphysis

Epiphyseal plates
in juveniles

Epiphyseal lines
in adults

Spongy bone

Compact bone

Medullary cavity (contains

Diaphysis red marrow in juveniles and Diaphysis
yellow marrow in adults)

Periosteum

Endosteum

Young bone

Adult bone

(a) (b)

Osteons
(haversian systems)

Endosteum
Inner
layer

Periosteum

Outer
layer

Compact bone

Central canals
Spongy bone
with trabeculae

Connecting vessels

Medullary
cavity 10
Adult bone
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 Compact Bone Tissue
• Location:
outer part of diaphysis (long Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission required for reproduction or display.

bones) and thinner surfaces

Osteons

of other bones (haversian systems)

Endosteum
Inner

• Osteon:
layer

Periosteum

Outer

- structural unit of compact layer

Compact bone

bone Central canals

Spongy bone

- includes lamella, lacunae, with trabeculae

canaliculus, central canal, Connecting vessels

Medullary

osteocytes cavity

Adult bone
(c)

• Lamella:
rings of bone matrix 11
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• Lacunae:
spaces between lamella

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• Canaliculus:
Osteons

- tiny canals (haversian systems)

Endosteum
Inner

- transport nutrients and Periosteum

layer

Outer

remove waste Compact bone

layer

Central canals
Spongy bone

• Central canal:
with trabeculae

Connecting vessels

- center of osteon Medullary

cavity

Adult bone

- contains blood vessels (c)

12
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Osteon Osteon Lamellae on

Concentric rings surface of bone
of lamellae Lamellae
between osteons
Central canal
Periosteum
Blood vessel within
the periosteum
Blood vessels
connecting to
a central canal

Blood vessels
within a central
(Haversian) canal
Canaliculi
LM 400x Osteocytes in
lacunae
Canaliculi (b)
(a)
Blood vessel
Lacunae
connecting to
a central canal
between osteons
a: © Trent Stephens

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 Spongy Bone Tissue
• Cancellous bone
• Location: epiphyses
of long bones and center
of other bones
• Trabeculae:
interconnecting rods,
spaces contain marrow
• No osteons

14
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 Bone Cells
• Osteocytes:
maintain bone matrix

• Osteoblasts:
build bone

• Osteoclasts:
carve bone
15
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 Bone Formation
• Ossification:
process of bone formation (occurs in utero)

• Osteoblast’s role:
- build bone
- after an osteoblast becomes surrounded by bone
matrix it becomes an osteocyte

16
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• Ossification center:
where bone formation begins

• Primary ossification center:

- where bone 1st begins to
appear
- forms diaphyses

• Secondary ossification center:

forms epiphyses
17
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Intramembranous Ossification
• Bone formation within connective tissue
membranes

• Osteoblasts build bone

• Ex. Skull bones

18
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 Endochondral Ossification
• Bone formation inside
cartilage

• Cartilage models are

replaced by bone

• Ex. All bones (except

skull)
19
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 Bone Growth
• Infancy and youth:
- long bones lengthen at epiphyseal plate
- long bones widen by adding more lamella

• End of bone growth (in length):

epiphyseal plate is replaced by an epiphyseal line

21
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 Bone Remodeling
• What is it?
- removal of existing bone by osteoclasts and
deposition of new bone by osteoblasts
- occurs in all bones
- responsible for changes in bone shape, bone
repair, adjustment of bone to stress, and
calcium ion regulation

22
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 Bone Repair
1. Broken bone causes bleeding and a blood clot
forms.
2. Callus forms which is a fibrous network between
2 fragments.
3. Cartilage model forms first then, osteoblasts enter
the callus and form cancellous bone this
continues for 4-6 weeks after injury.
4. Cancellous bone is slowly remodeled to form
compact and cancellous bone.

23
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 Bone and Calcium Homeostasis
• Bone is a major storage site for calcium
• Movement of calcium in and out of bone helps
determine blood levels of calcium
• Calcium moves into bone as osteoblasts build
new bone
• Calcium move out of bone as osteoclasts break
down bone
• Calcium homeostasis is maintained by
parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcitonin
25
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Decreased
1 5
Increased Please update to
blood Ca2+ blood Ca2+
9e copyright

Posterior aspect
of thyroid gland
Parathyroid 1 Decreased blood Ca2+ stimulates PTH
glands secretion from parathyroid glands.
Kidney
Thyroid gland 2 PTH stimulates osteoclasts to break down
bone and release Ca2+ into the blood.

3 In the kidneys, PTH increases Ca2+

reabsorption from the urine. PTH also
3 stimulates active Vitamin D formation.
PTH Calcitonin 4 Vitamin D promotes Ca2+ absorption from
the small intestine into the blood.
2 6
Stimulates 5 Increased blood Ca2+ stimulates calcitonin
Vitamin D Inhibits
secretion from the thyroid gland.
osteoclasts osteoclasts
6 Calcitonin inhibits osteoclasts, which
Bone allows for enhanced osteoblast uptake of
Osteoclasts Ca2+ from the blood to deposit into bone.
promote Ca2+
uptake from Ca2+
4 bone.
Osteoblasts promote
Ca2+ deposition in bone.
Small intestine

Ca2+ Blood

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 Hematopoietic Tissue
• What is it?
tissue that makes blood cells

• Red marrow:
location of blood forming cells

• Yellow marrow:
mostly fat

27
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• Location of hematopoietic tissue in newborns:
most bones (red marrow)

• Location of hematopoietic tissue in adults:

- red is replaced with yellow marrow
- red marrow is mainly in epiphyses of femur
and humerus

28
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 Bone Anatomy
• Foramen:
- hole
- Ex. Foramen magnum
• Fossa:
- depression
- Ex. Glenoid fossa
• Process:
- projection
- Ex. Mastoid process
29
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• Condyle:
- smooth, rounded end
- Ex. Occipital condyle
• Meatus:
- canal-like passageway
- Ex. External auditory meatus
• Tubercle:
- lump of bone
- Ex. Greater tubercle
30
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 Axial Skeleton
• Skulls
➢Consist of 22 bones ( 14 facial bones
; 8 bones as braincase )

31
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 Axial Skeleton
• Mastoid process:
attached to neck
muscles
• External auditory
meatus:
ear canal
• Nasolacrimal canal:
- canal between nasal
cavity and eye
- conducts tears

32
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• Styloid process:
attachment site for tongue

• Mandibular fossa:
depression where lower jaw and skull
meet

• Glenoid fossa:
where humerus meets scapula

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• Hard palate:
roof of mouth
• Foramen magnum:
hole where spinal cord joins brainstem

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• Zygomatic:
cheek bone

• Mandible:
lower jaw

• Maxilla:
upper jaw

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 Vertebral Column
• 7 cervical vertebra
• 12 thoracic vertebra
• 5 lumbar vertebra
• 1 sacrum
• 1 coccyx
• Atlas:
- 1st vertebra
- holds head
• Axis:
- 2nd vertebra
- rotates head
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 Functions of Vertebral Column
1. supports the weight of the head and trunk;
2. protects the spinal cord
3. allows spinal nerves to exit the spinal cord
4. provides a site for muscle attachment
5. permits movement of the head and trunk.

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 Thoracic Cage
• Protects vital organs
• 12 pair of ribs
• Sternum:
breastbone
• True ribs:
attach directly to sternum by cartilage
• False ribs:
attach indirectly to sternum by cartilage
• Floating ribs:
not attached to sternum
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40
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 Pectoral Girdle

• Scapula:
shoulder blade

• Clavicle:
collar bone

42
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 Upper Limb Bones
• Humerus:
upper limb
• Ulna:
forearm
• Radius:
forearm
• Carpals:
wrist
• Metacarpals:
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 Pelvic Girdle
• Where lower limbs attach to body
• Pelvis:
includes pelvic girdle and coccyx
• Ischium:
inferior and posterior region
• Ilium:
most superior region
• Acetabulum:
hip socket (joint)

48
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 Lower Limb Bones
• Femur:
thigh
• Patella:
knee cap
• Tibia:
large lower leg
• Fibula:
small lower leg
50
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 • Tarsals:
ankle
• Metatarsals:
foot
• Phalanges:
toes and fingers

51
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 52
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 54
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 Articulations
• What are they?
where 2 bones come together (joint)
• Synarthrosis:
- nonmovable joint
- Ex. skull
• Amphiarthrosis:
- slightly movable joint
- Ex. Between vertebrae
• Diarthrosis:
- freely movable joint
- Ex. knee, elbow, wrist 55
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 56
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 57
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 Types of Movement
• Flexion: bending
• Extension: straightening
• Abduction: movement away from midline
• Adduction: movement toward the midline
• Pronation: rotation of the forearm with palms
down
• Supination: rotation of the forearm with palms up
• Rotation: movement of a structure about the long
axis
58
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 Effects of Aging on the Skeletal System and
Joints
1. The bone matrix in an older bone is more brittle than in a younger
bone because decreased collagen production results in relatively
more mineral and less collagen fibers.
2. Significant loss of bone which increases the likelihood of bone
fractures.
3. A number of changes occur within many joints as a person ages.
Changes in synovial joints have the greatest effect and often
present major problems for elderly people.
4. The production rate of lubricating synovial fluid also declines
with age, further contributing to the wear of the articular
cartilage.
5. The ligaments and tendons surrounding a joint shorten and
become less flexible with age, resulting in decreased range 61 of
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