MLT GlobeAnatomy: Skeletal system & joints
68 Anatomy MCQs on Skeletal system & joints with answers and explanations.
Ribs that attach directly to the sternum by their own costal cartilage are which pairs?
Pairs 1–7 are true (vertebrosternal) ribs. Pairs 8–10 join the cartilage above (false ribs) and 11–12 are floating ribs.
The prominent bump felt at the base of the back of the neck is the long spinous process of which vertebra?
C7 (vertebra prominens) has a long, non-bifid spinous process used as a surface landmark. The atlas (C1) has no true spinous process.
A bone that develops within a tendon, such as the one in front of the knee, is classed as:
The patella develops in the quadriceps tendon and is the largest sesamoid bone. The femur, sternum and vertebrae ossify from ordinary cartilage models.
A multinucleated cell in a resorption pit (Howship lacuna) is removing bone matrix. This cell is an:
Osteoclasts, derived from monocyte–macrophage precursors, resorb and demineralise bone. Osteoblasts lay down osteoid; osteocytes are trapped in lacunae.
In a section of compact bone, mature bone cells sit in small spaces called lacunae. These cells are:
Osteocytes are osteoblasts trapped in their own matrix, lying in lacunae linked by canaliculi.
With 12 pairs of ribs, how many intercostal spaces are there on each side of the chest?
Twelve ribs enclose eleven intercostal spaces per side, each filled by intercostal muscles; below the 12th rib is the subcostal region.
Which pair of bones belongs to the appendicular skeleton?
The appendicular skeleton comprises limb bones and their girdles, including the scapula and clavicle. The sternum, ribs, skull and vertebrae are axial.
The immovable fibrous joints uniting the bones of the skull vault are called:
Sutures are fibrous joints between skull bones. Gomphoses anchor teeth; syndesmoses (e.g., distal tibiofibular) are ligamentous fibrous joints.
Which suture joins the occipital bone to the two parietal bones?
The lambdoid suture separates occipital and parietal bones. The coronal joins frontal and parietal; the sagittal joins the two parietals.
The humero-ulnar (elbow) joint, allowing flexion and extension only, is a:
The elbow moves in one plane, making it a hinge joint. The shoulder and hip are ball-and-socket; the proximal radio-ulnar joint is a pivot.
Which sequence correctly gives the number of vertebrae in each region, top to bottom?
There are 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar and 5 sacral vertebrae fused into the sacrum, followed by the coccyx.
The capitulum and trochlea, which articulate with the radius and ulna, are features of which bone?
The distal humerus has the capitulum (for the radial head) and trochlea (for the ulna), forming the elbow joint.
Which bone is classified as irregular rather than flat?
Vertebrae have complex shapes and are irregular bones. The sternum, ribs and skull vault bones are flat, and contain red marrow in adults.
Which skull bone forms a freely movable synovial joint?
The mandible moves at the temporomandibular joint. Other skull bones are united by immovable sutures.
The scaphoid and pisiform are bones of the:
Both are carpal bones. The scaphoid is the most commonly fractured carpal; the pisiform is a sesamoid within flexor carpi ulnaris.
The annulus fibrosus of an intervertebral disc is composed of:
Fibrocartilage, with dense collagen bundles, resists compression in intervertebral discs, pubic symphysis and menisci.
How many pairs of ribs articulate posteriorly with the thoracic vertebrae?
All 12 pairs of ribs articulate with thoracic vertebrae; only their anterior attachments differ (true, false, floating).
In the standing position, which bony landmark of the pelvis is highest?
The iliac crest is the upper border of the ilium; it is also a common bone marrow aspiration and biopsy site (posterior superior iliac spine).
Which bone, commonly used for bone marrow aspiration in adults, is a flat bone?
The sternum is a flat bone containing red marrow and is a recognised aspiration site. The humerus and tibia are long bones; the maxilla is irregular.
The pubic symphysis, joined by a fibrocartilaginous disc, is classed as which type of joint?
A symphysis is a secondary cartilaginous joint with a fibrocartilage disc allowing slight movement; it has no synovial cavity.