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tuberosity

C2
noun

Pronunciation

UK

  • /ˌtjuːbəˈrɒsɪti/

US

  • /tˌuːbərˈɔsɪti/

Description

Imagine you're building with LEGOs. Sometimes the raised parts help other pieces connect and stay in place. In anatomy, a tuberosity is a large, rounded bump on a bone where muscles, tendons, or ligaments attach. You can think of it as a strong anchor point that helps the body move. These bony bumps appear on different bones in the skeleton, often near joints. The greater tuberosity of the humerus (the upper arm bone) is a good example. It is the prominent bump near the shoulder where important muscles attach.

Examples

  1. 1

    Knee exam

    The trainer pressed gently on the tibial tuberosity below his knee to check where the pain was coming from.

    • Domain

      tibial tuberosity

      the bony bump on the shinbone just below the knee

  2. 2

    Shoulder injury

    The scan showed a small fracture of the greater tuberosity, so he had to keep his shoulder in a sling.

    • Domain

      the greater tuberosity

      a named part of the upper arm bone near the shoulder

  3. 3

    Anatomy class

    In anatomy class, students learn to identify each tuberosity because these raised areas often serve as points where muscles attach.

Forms and spellings

1 form open this card.

Main spelling

  • tuberositynoun