There are many types of bone within the body:
- long bones (longer than they are wide)
- short bones (not long bones)
- flat bones
- sesamoid bones (for within a tendon)
- irregular bones (don't fit into a category)
The majority of the bones of the appendicular skeleton are long bones. However, the carpals and tarsals are short bones.
Flat bones include the sternum and ribs and sesamoid bones include the patella. Irregular bones are those that don't really fit into any of the previous categories, e.g. vertebra, pelvic bones.