Athletic Training & Sports Medicine Center

AH 321 Assessment of Athletic Injuries/Illnesses Laboratory

Bony Palpation Skill Sheet

Hand & Wrist	Arm	Hip, Pelvis & Spine	Foot & Ankle
Forearm	Shoulder Girdle	Knee	Head & Face
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Forearm

Bony Landmark (include alternative name if applicable)	Related Information such as purpose, function, attachment of ligaments, tendon, soft tissues involved	Preferred Body & Joint Position best for palpation	Anatomical Description of Location relative to other structures	Skeleton Picture or Video	Model Picture or Video
Olecranon process	Attachment for triceps brachii tendon	Patient with arm at side, elbow flexed approximately 30 degrees	Bony prominence of the proximal ulna, just distal to the olecranon fossa and lateral to the medial epicondyle of the humerus
Tuberosity of the radius	Insertion of the biceps brachii tendon	Elbow flexed at 90 degrees	Follow the biceps brachii muscle and tendon distally to the radius; once you lose the tendon the tuberosity lies just underneath your finger or thumb
Radial shaft in supination	Attachment of interosseous membrane, pronator quadratus, and wrist flexors	Sitting with arm in supination	Lateral forearm
Medial supracondylar ridge	Serves as an attachment for the flexor muscles of the wrist	Patient standing with the elbow flexes 30 degrees	Located superior to the medial epicondyle of the humerus
Radial shaft in pronation	Also called the forearm	Patient needs to be standing or seated with the elbow flexed at 90 degrees and then rotate the shaft laterally	It attaches to the elbow (olecranon fossa) and it articulates with the capitellum and humerus on its distal end
Ulnar shaft in supination	Origin of flexor digitorum profundus and pronator quadratus	Arm resting on table, anatomic position	Medial forearm in anatomic position
Ulnar shaft in pronation	Serves as an attachment for the interosseous membrane	Patient lying in the prone position with the arm relaxed	When in pronation, the ulna will be located on the lateral side of the forearm. Crosses over the radius in pronation
Lateral supracondylar ridge	The site of the wrist extensors or the "mobile wad of 3" the brachioradialis, extensor carpi radialis longus, and the extensor carpi radialis brevis; also the brachioradialis originates from here	Stand at the patient's side and hold the anterior lateral aspect of the arm, move upward in a linear fashion from the lateral epicondyle, and palpate a short bony ridge, palpate up and down the ridge to get a good feel for its prominence	Located on the posterior distal end of the humerus above the lateral epicondyle
Styloid process-radius	Reference point of carpal palpation; insertion of brachioradialis	Forearm relaxed on table	Distal tip of radius
Styloid process-ulna	The extensor carpi ulnaris tendon runs thru a groove in the distal tip of the ulna styloid process	Patient standing, relaxed	The ulna styloid process is located both medially and posteriorly on the wrist in the anatomic position	XXX
Tubercle of the radius (Lister’s Tubercle)	When the hand is broken down into zones the tubercle of the radius makes up the 2nd zone	Have the patient's hand and wrist in a neutral position	It is the bony ridge located between the ulna and radius on the posterior and distal aspect of these two bones, between the ulna and radius distally