Greater tubercle (of humerus)
To read about other bones of the hands and arms, use the links on the left-side of this page.
The greater tubercle (of humerus) is also referred to, especially in older texts, as the 'greater tuberosity'. It is a feature on the humerus bone, which is the major bone of the upper-arm.
The greater tubercle is located at the top of the humerus bone, lateral to the head of the humerus, as shown in the diagram.
Its upper surface is broadly curved with three flat facets separated by two small ridges. The three facets of the greater tubercle can be described in terms of their relative positions, e.g. 'higher (="superior")' etc., and according to the tendons / muscles attached:
- highest ('superior') facet - attachment to the tendon of the Supraspinatus
- middle facet - attachment to the tendon of the Infraspinatus
- lowest ('inferior') facet - attachment to the tendon of the Teres minor, which also attaches to the shaft of the bone below the inferior facet of the greater tubercle.
For more information about the adjacent bones see hand bones and arm bones.
More about Hand and Arm Bones:
This website includes many pages about bones and the skeletal system. The following pages may be of interest. These also link to further pages about related topics such as specific types of fractures, bone diseases and so on.
- Structures and Functions of Bones (an overview about the Skeletal System)
- Types of Bones, such as long bones, short bones, flat bones, etc.
- Bone Markings and Features on Bones of the Human Body
- Types of Joints, such as immoveable, slightly moveable and freely moveable joints
- Diagram of the Human Skeleton
- Overview of types of Conditions and Disorders of the Skeletal System
For further information see also our pages of books about orthopaedics.
