anatomy/humerus·Bone

Humerus

The long bone of the upper arm. At the top it forms the shoulder joint, at the bottom the elbow joint.

Fig. · Location in the body Left: location in the whole body. Right: close-up. Schematic, not to scale.

// Structure & location

At the top the humerus carries a hemispherical head that sits in the socket of the shoulder blade. Beside it are two tubercles where the rotator cuff muscles attach, with a groove between them for the long biceps tendon. At the bottom it widens into two bony bumps (epicondyles) and the joint surfaces for ulna and radius.

// Function

It transmits the force of the shoulder and arm muscles. The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint that according to OpenStax has little ligament support and therefore a very large range of motion. The elbow is a hinge joint that can only bend and straighten.

// For training & sport

Because the shoulder is mainly stabilised by muscles, balanced training of pushing and pulling exercises pays off.
The forearm muscles arise from the inner and outer bumps at the elbow. That's where golfer's and tennis elbow develop.

// Good to know

The funny bone isn't a bone but a nerve (ulnar nerve). It runs behind the inner bump of the humerus almost unprotected under the skin, which is why a knock there tingles all the way into the little finger.

// Sources

last reviewed: 2026-11-14

// More from the atlas: Bones

Skull Spine Rib cage Clavicle Scapula Radius and ulna Pelvis Femur Kneecap Tibia and fibula