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What is the capitulum

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Amelia Brooks

Updated on April 14, 2026

In human anatomy of the arm, the capitulum of the humerus is a smooth, rounded eminence on the lateral portion of the distal articular surface of the humerus. It articulates with the cupshaped depression on the head of the radius, and is limited to the front and lower part of the bone.

What is the Capitellum?

/ (ˌkæpɪˈtɛləm) / noun plural -la (-lə) anatomy an enlarged knoblike structure at the end of a bone that forms an articulation with another bone; capitulum.

What type of joint is the capitulum?

Humeroradial jointTA21774FMA38855Anatomical terminology

What is the function of the Capitellum?

Sexually mature oligochaetes have a clitellum, which is a modification of a section of the body wall consisting of a glandular, saddlelike thickening near the gonopores. During copulation, the clitellum secretes a mucus that keeps the worms paired while sperm are being exchanged.

What are the trochlea and capitulum?

The trochlea and capitulum are the rounded, smooth, knuckle-like surfaces at the anterior and distal end of the humerus. The elbow flexes and extends around these structures. Two outcroppings of bone flank the trochlea and capitulum.

How long does it take to recover from OCD elbow surgery?

Osteochondritis dissecans happens most often in the knee, elbow, or ankle. It usually takes 3 months or longer to heal completely.

Where is capitellum?

In human anatomy of the arm, the capitulum of the humerus is a smooth, rounded eminence on the lateral portion of the distal articular surface of the humerus. It articulates with the cupshaped depression on the head of the radius, and is limited to the front and lower part of the bone.

Is the capitulum anterior or posterior?

Immediately lateral to the trochlea is the capitulum (“small head”), a knob-like structure located on the anterior surface of the distal humerus. The capitulum articulates with the radius bone of the forearm.

Is the capitulum a condyle?

A large central condyle which has two articular components – the capitulum which articulates with the head of the radius, and the trochlea which articulates with the ulna.

What bone does the capitulum articulate?

two smooth articular surfaces (capitulum and trochlea), two depressions (fossae) that form part of the elbow joint, and two projections (epicondyles). The capitulum laterally articulates with the radius; the trochlea, a spool-shaped surface, articulates with the ulna.

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What is trochlea of femur?

Description. The trochlea of femur (femoral trochlea) is the cranial cartilaginous part of distal femur, for articulation with the patella fo form the femoral patellar joint. It consists of a groove bounded by the medial and a lateral ridges.

What articulates with the olecranon fossa?

On the posterior surface of the condyle is the olecranon fossa, which articulates with the olecranon of the ulnar bone upon flexion of the elbow joint.

Is the capitulum medial or lateral?

The capitulum is on the lateral side, the trochlea is medial. On the posterior surface, above the trochlea is a large dent, called the olecranon fossa. The proximal end of the ulna fits into this fossa when the elbow is extended.

What is the medial epicondyle of the humerus?

The medial epicondyle is a secondary growth centre at the elbow, which first appears around age 6 and fuses to the shaft of the humerus at about age 14-17 years. A medial epicondyle fracture is an avulsion injury of the attachment of the common flexors of the forearm.

What is olecranon fossa of humerus?

The olecranon fossa is located on the posterior surface of the distal humerus, where it receives the proximal ulna during full extension of the arm. … The intertubercular groove passes between two tubercles on the humerus.

What does OCD in elbow feel like?

Lateral Pain over the joint. Stiffness. Feeling of instability. Stiffness after resting.

Is vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency related to the development of osteochondritis dissecans?

Conclusion: These first data show that a vitamin D3 deficiency rather than an insufficiency may be involved in the development of OCD lesions. Probably, with a vitamin D3 substitution, the development of an advanced OCD stage could be avoided.

What causes OCD in elbow?

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the outer elbow side of the arm bone, or capitellum, is a condition that results from repetitive trauma to the capitellum. It usually occurs in baseball players, but can occasionally happen in other athletes that throw overhead.

Are the trochlea and capitulum condyles?

A large central condyle which has two articular components – the capitulum is the lateral articular component and articulates with the radius, and the trochlea is the medial component which articulates with the ulna. Learn more about the anatomy of the elbow joint in this tutorial.

Is olecranon an ulna?

The olecranon is the “tip” of the elbow and is part of the ulna.

What is the greater tubercle of the humerus?

The greater tuberosity is the prominent area of bone at the top of the humerus and is the attachment for the two large, powerful rotator cuff muscles – supraspinatus and infraspinatus. It is injured/fractured in a fall by either landing directly onto the side of your shoulder or landing with your arm outstretched.

What is capitellum fracture?

Fracture of the capitellum is an intra-articular fracture of the elbow, analogous to the Hoffa fracture of the knee. It is a rare fracture which represents an injury to the lateral column of the distal humerus. The mechanism of injury is usually an axial loading through the radial head [3].

How do you tell if it is a left or right humerus?

Look for the deep olecranon fossa on the lower (distal) end. Rotate the humerus so that the capitulum and trochlea face YOU. If the capitulum is on the left side of the bone, it is a left humerus. If the capitulum is on the right side, it is a right humerus.

What fits into the glenoid cavity?

An irregular shallow cavity in the scapula called the glenoid cavity forms the socket for the head of the humerus to fit in. The two bones together form the glenohumeral joint, which is the main joint of the shoulder. The scapula is a flat triangular shaped bone that forms the shoulder blade.

What does the acromion process articulate with?

The spine ends in the acromion, a process that articulates with the clavicle, or collarbone, in front and helps form the upper part of the shoulder socket.

What bones form the knuckles?

ABPhalangesfinger bones, toe bonesMetacarpalsheads of these bones form the knucklesScapula and Sternumbones that articulate with the clavicalIlium, ischium, and pubisfuse to form the coxial bone

How do you remember capitulum and Trochlea?

The mnemonic of the order of appearance of the individual ossification centers is C-R-I-T-O-E: Capitellum, Radial head, Internal (medial) epicondyle, Trochlea, Olecranon, External (lateral) epicondyle.

How do I find my radial head?

The radial head can be palpated with the forearm in full pronation and the elbow flexed to 90 degrees. To palpate, first locate the tip of the lateral epicondyle with your thumb. Then slide your thumb toward the client’s wrist approximately ½ inch. The hard feel is the radial head.

How do you feel the olecranon process?

Begin on the humerus and palpate down over the triceps in the midline feeling for tenderness until you reach the olecranon. Palpate the olecranon for tenderness and feel for fluid, nodules, or thickening of the olecranon bursa.

What is olecranon process?

Definitions of olecranon process. process of the ulna that forms the outer bump of the elbow and fits into the fossa of the humerus when the arm is extended. synonyms: olecranon. type of: appendage, outgrowth, process. a natural prolongation or projection from a part of an organism either animal or plant.

What is the meaning of trochlea?

: an anatomical structure that is held to resemble a pulley especially : the articular surface on the medial condyle of the humerus that articulates with the ulna.