Tricks for Remembering Bones in Anatomy

Students of anatomy must memorize a number of hard-to-pronounce terms for parts of the body. The bones of the skeletal system, in particular, can be challenging to recall as the adult human body contains 206 bones. Tricks called "mnemonic devices," which include acronyms, rhymes and formulas, can help you remember these sometimes-tricky, often Latin names. (Note: Some memory aides are racy, which perhaps makes them so memorable!)

Carpal Bones of the Hand

• "Some Lovers Try Positions They Truly Can't Handle" (Scaphoid, Lunate, Triquetral, Pisiform, Trapezium, Trapezoid, Capitate and Hamate)

Carpus Bones of the Hand

• "Never Lower Tilly's Panties; Grandmother May Come Home" (Navicular, Lunate, Trapezium, Pisiform, Greater multangular, Multangular, Capitate, and Hamate)

Bones of the Orbit

• "Friendly Zebras Speed Past Elderly Lions Mating" (Frontal, Zygomatic, Sphenoid, Palatine, Ethmoid, Lacrima, and Maxilla

Cranial Bones

• The "PEST OF 6" (Parietal, Ethmoid, Sphenoid, Temporal, Occipital and Frontal)

  Or

  "Old People From Texas Eat Spiders" (Occipital, Parietal, Frontal, Temporal, Ethmoid and Sphenoid)

Fontanels of a Baby's Skull

• "PAPA" (Posterior, Anterior, Posterio-lateral and Anterio-lateral)

Facial Bones

• "Zoro Likes Punching My Very Nose In" (Zygomatic, Lacrimal, Palatine, Maxillary, Vomer, Nasal and Inferior concha)

Hannah Montana: "The Bone Dance"

• The popular Disney Channel show featured Miley Cyrus' character doing "The Bone Dance" to learn the skeletal system in school. Here's a sample of the lyrics:

  "I got some Tarsals too
  I'll put them in my shoe
  The Fibula is next
  According to my text

  Then comes the Tibia
  That ain't no Fibia

  And now up to my knee, yeah, yeah, yeah
  That's the patella to me..."

  For a link to the complete lyrics, see Resources.