GLOSSARY

Short bones are roughly cube-shaped bones of approximately equal length, width, and thickness, made mainly of spongy bone with a thin covering of compact bone.

Examples

• Carpal bones: 8 in each wrist, such as the scaphoid and lunate.
• Tarsal bones: 7 in each foot, such as the talus and calcaneus; some sources class the calcaneus as irregular because of its large size.

Function

Packed closely together, these bones provide stability