Humerus: Anterior view (Latin)

The proximal end of the humerus is composed of a large rounded caput humeri, an collum anatomicum and a collum chirurgicum. Located towards the lateral portion of the proximal humerus is a bony protrusion known as the tuberculum majus. The tuberculum majus has an anterior and posterior surface. The tuberculum minus is much smaller than its greater counterpart and is situated more medially. These prominences act as an important attachment site for the muscles of the shoulder. Both the tubercula majus and minus extend distally into crista and demarcate a prominent groove called the sulcus intertubercularis. This sulcus consists of a lateral and medial lip, which function as insertion sites for the m. latissimus dorsi and m. pectoralis major. The sulcus intertubercularis also acts as a conduit for the tendo caput longum musculi bicipitis brachii and is therefore also known as the sulcus bicipitalis. The anterior shaft of the humerus is marked by the tuberositas deltoidea, which provides an attachment point for the m. deltoideus. From this anterior perspective, two borders (margo anterior and margo medialis) and two surfaces (facies anteromedialis and facies anterolateralis) of the humerus can be identified. The distal end of the humeral shaft widens to form the crista supracondylaris medialis and crista supracondylaris lateralis, which end distally as the epicondylus medialis and epicondylus lateralis humeri. The epicondylus medialis and epicondylus lateralis act as important attachment sites for muscles of the forearm. The distal end of the humerus is marked by a series of fossae and processes. The condylus humeri is made up of the articulating trochlea and capitulum and non-articulating fossa olecrani (see next image), fossa coronoidea, and fossa radialis. The condylus humeri plays a key role in the formation of the elbow joint (articulatio cubiti) as it articulates with the radius and ulna.