The Upper Arm Pillar
The humerus â and the famous funny bone
Your upper arm has one long bone: the humerus. It's a pillar with a ball at the top for your shoulder and a hinge at the bottom for your elbow â plus a famous spot called the funny bone!
The humerus, front and back
Real anatomy picture coming soon
Real anatomy photo spot: the humerus with its rounded head and hinged lower end
Ball on top, hinge below
The round head of the humerus is the ball that spins in your shoulder socket (Lesson 16). At the bottom, the bone flattens into a hinge with two bumps â the epicondyles â where your forearm muscles attach. The hinge fits into a notch of the ulna, letting your elbow bend and straighten like a door.
The funny bone isn't a bone
Knock the inside of your elbow and you get a zapping tingle down to your little finger. That's not a bone â it's the ulnar nerve, a real electrical cable, squashed against the humerus! The nerve passes right behind the bump you can feel on the inner elbow. Ouch!
Mr. Bones says: I'm a fictional skeleton, not a doctor! This is for learning and fun. If anything hurts, stop and tell a grown-up you trust.
