humerus n : bone extending from the shoulder to the elbow [also: humeri (pl)]

English

Pronunciation

• hyo͞o'mərəs, /ˈhjuːmərəs/, /"hju:m@r@s/

  Homophones: humorous

Noun

1. The bone of the upper arm.

Translations

• Finnish: olkaluu

The humerus is a long bone in the arm or forelimb that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. Anatomically, it fits between the scapula and the ulna, and consists of the following three sections:

• Upper extremity of humerus
• Body of humerus
• Lower extremity of humerus

Muscle insertions and origins

• The deltoid inserts on the deltoid tuberosity of the humerus and has several actions including abduction, extension, and rotation

• Pectoralis major, teres major and latissimus dorsi insert at the intertubercular groove of the humerus. They work to adduct and medially rotate the humerus.

• Biceps brachii, brachialis, coracobrachialis, and brachioradialis (which attaches very distally) act to flex the elbow. The biceps, however, does not attach to the humerus.

• Triceps brachii and anconeus extend the elbow, and attach to the posterior side of the humerus.

Clinical considerations

The most common type of shoulder dislocation is an anterior or inferior dislocation of the humerus of the glenohumeral joint. This dislocation has the potential to injure the axillary nerve or axillary artery. Signs and symptoms of this dislocation include a loss of the normal shoulder contour and a palpable depression under the acromion.

Popular culture

The ulnar nerve at the distal end of the humerus near the elbow is sometimes referred to in popular culture as 'the funny bone'. Striking this nerve can cause a tingling sensation ("funny" feeling), and sometimes a significant amount of pain.

The humerus is also notable because it is the longest bone in the human arm (the femur is the longest bone in the human body).

In an episode of the television series CSI ("To Halve and To Hold"), the skeletal humerus is used to determine a man's original height by multiplying the length of his humerus by five.

Leaning on both the medical and "funny bone" definitions, a Hollywood design firm took the name Humerus LLC and released a series of Zombie related products, and features an x-ray of the humerus bone in their logo.

See also

• Hill-Sachs lesion

Additional images

Image:Human arm bones diagram.svg|Human arm bones diagram Image:Humerus ant.jpg|Humerus (right) - anterior view Image:Humerus post.jpg|Humerus (right) - posterior view Image:Gray413_color.png|Cross-section through the middle of upper arm.