Bones of the Skeletal System (Summary Table)

Bones of the Skeletal System (Summary Table)

The table below reconciles every bone count given in the preceding sections into the textbook's own summary, confirming that the axial skeleton's 4 regions add up to 80 bones and the appendicular skeleton's 4 regions add up to 126 bones, for the well-known adult total of 206 bones. Reading the axial column: the skull alone contributes 29 bones (8 cranial + 14 facial + 6 ear ossicles + 1 hyoid), the vertebral column contributes 26 bones in an adult (7 cervical + 12 thoracic + 5 lumbar + 1 fused sacrum + 1 fused coccyx), the sternum contributes 1, and the 12 pairs of ribs contribute 24. Reading the appendicular column: the fore limb and hind limb each contribute 60 bones (30 per side, counted for both left and right limbs), the pectoral girdle contributes 4 (scapula + clavicle, both sides), and the pelvic girdle's sing …