Upper limb anatomy
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Luijkx T, Hacking C, Upper limb anatomy. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 22 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-33445
rID:
33445
Article created:
13 Jan 2015,
Tim Luijkx
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Tim Luijkx had no recorded disclosures.
View Tim Luijkx's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Mohammad Taghi Niknejad had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Mohammad Taghi Niknejad's current disclosures
Revisions:
6 times, by
2 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Tags:
Upper limb anatomy encompasses the anatomy of the shoulder, arm, elbow, forearm, wrist and hand.
This anatomy section promotes the use of the Terminologia Anatomica, the international standard of anatomical nomenclature.
Quiz questions
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Articles:
- Axillary artery
- Interosseous membrane
- Sternoclavicular joint
- Subclavian vein
- Pectoral girdle
- Forearm
- Venous drainage of the upper limb
- Latissimus dorsi muscle
- Subclavian artery
- Organomegaly
- Hands
- Anatomy curriculum
- Radius and ulnar shaft fractures
- Medical abbreviations and acronyms (R)
- Cervical enlargement
- Pectoralis major muscle
- Arm
- Varicose veins
- Medical abbreviations and acronyms (U)
Cases:
Multiple choice questions:
Related articles: Anatomy: Upper limb
-
skeleton of the upper limb
- clavicle
- scapula
- humerus
- radius
- ulna
- hand
- accessory ossicles of the upper limb
- accessory ossicles of the shoulder
- accessory ossicles of the elbow
-
accessory ossicles of the wrist (mnemonic)
- os centrale carpi
- os epilunate
- os epitriquetrum
- os styloideum
- os hamuli proprium
- lunula
- os triangulare
- trapezium secondarium
- os paratrapezium
- os radiostyloideum (persistent radial styloid)
- joints of the upper limb
-
pectoral girdle
-
shoulder joint
- articulations
- associated structures
- joint capsule
- bursae
- ligaments
- movements
- scapulothoracic joint
-
glenohumeral joint
- arm flexion
- arm extension
- arm abduction
- arm adduction
- arm internal rotation (medial rotation)
- arm external rotation (lateral rotation)
- circumduction
- arterial supply - scapular anastomosis
- ossification centres
-
shoulder joint
-
elbow joint
- proximal radioulnar joint
- ligaments
- associated structures
- movements
- alignment
- arterial supply - elbow anastomosis
- development
-
wrist joint
- articulations
-
ligaments
- intrinsic ligaments
- extrinsic ligaments
- radioscaphoid ligament
- dorsal intercarpal ligament
- dorsal radiotriquetral ligament
- dorsal radioulnar ligament
- volar radioulnar ligament
- radioscaphocapitate ligament
- long radiolunate ligament
- Vickers ligament
- short radiolunate ligament
- ulnolunate ligament
- ulnotriquetral ligament
- ulnocapitate ligament
- ulnar collateral ligament
- associated structures
- extensor retinaculum
- flexor retinaculum
- joint capsule
- movements
- alignment
- ossification centres
-
hand joints
- articulations
- carpometacarpal joint
-
metacarpophalangeal joints
- palmar ligament (plate)
- collateral ligament
-
interphalangeal joints
- palmar ligament (plate)
- collateral ligament
- movements
- ossification centres
- articulations
-
pectoral girdle
- spaces of the upper limb
- muscles of the upper limb
- shoulder girdle
- anterior compartment of the arm
- posterior compartment of the arm
-
anterior compartment of the forearm
- superficial
- intermediate
- deep
-
posterior compartment of the forearm (extensors)
- superficial
- deep
- muscles of the hand
-
accessory muscles
- elbow
- volar wrist midline
- palmaris longus profundus
- aberrant palmaris longus
- volar wrist radial-side
- accessory flexor digitorum superficialis indicis
- flexor indicis profundus
- flexor carpi radialis vel profundus
- accessory head of the flexor pollicis longus (Gantzer muscle, common)
- volar wrist ulnar-side
- dorsal wrist
- blood supply to the upper limb
-
arteries
- subclavian artery (mnemonic)
- axillary artery
- brachial artery (proximal portion)
- ulnar artery
- radial artery
- veins
-
arteries
- innervation of the upper limb
- intercostobrachial nerve
-
brachial plexus (mnemonic)
- branches from the roots
- branches from the trunks
- branches from the cords
- lateral cord
- posterior cord
- medial cord
- terminal branches
- lymphatic drainage of the upper limb
Related articles: Anatomy: General
- anatomic position
-
anatomic nomenclature
-
Terminologia Anatomica
- superseded nomenclature
-
Terminologia Anatomica
- anatomic variants
- labelled imaging anatomy cases
- regional anatomy
- systems anatomy
- endocrine system
- lymphatic system
- reticuloendothelial system
- nervous system
- systems based on location
- systems based on function
- somatic nervous system
-
autonomic nervous system
- sympathetic nervous system
- parasympathetic nervous system
-
autonomic ganglia and plexuses
- craniofacial
- cervical
- thoracic
- abdominopelvic
- coccygeal
- histology
- osteology
- skeleton
- bones
- macroscopic structure
- microscopic structure
- bone growth
- fetal bone formation
- developmental ossification
- tubulation
- bone types
- nutrient foramen
- joints
- muscles
- organs
- embryology
- skin
- blood vessels
Related articles: Anatomy: Radiological
The anatomy section is organised into seven expandable chapters based on regional body systems:
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