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Why This Matters for Nursing: These systems enable movement and protect organs. Understanding them helps you assess mobility, manage fractures, position patients safely, and understand musculoskeletal conditions.
The skeletal and muscular systems work together to support the body, enable movement, and protect vital organs.
Bone Regions: - Axial = "Axis" of body (skull, spine, ribs) — 80 bones - Appendicular = "Appendages" (arms, legs) — 126 bones
Joint Types (mobility): "Some Joints Can't Move" Synovial = freely movable (knees, elbows) Cartilaginous = slightly movable (spine) Fibrous = immovable (skull sutures)
| Type | Shape | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Long | Longer than wide | Femur, humerus, phalanges |
| Short | Cube-like | Carpals (wrist), tarsals (ankle) |
| Flat | Thin, flat | Skull, ribs, scapula |
| Irregular | Complex shapes | Vertebrae, facial bones |
| Part | Description |
|---|---|
| Compact bone | Dense outer layer |
| Spongy bone | Porous inner layer; contains marrow |
| Periosteum | Outer membrane; blood vessels, nerves |
| Bone marrow | Red (makes blood cells) or yellow (fat storage) |
| Type | Movement | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Synovial | Freely movable | Knee, shoulder, hip, elbow |
| Cartilaginous | Slightly movable | Vertebral discs, pubic symphysis |
| Fibrous | Immovable | Skull sutures |
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