Humeral Condyle

Description

Distal humerus anatomy centers on the humeral condyle, where the trochlea lies medially and the capitulum sits lateral to it, together forming the articular surface for the ulna and radial head. Superior to the joint line, the medial and lateral epicondyles flare from the metaphysis, with the medial epicondyle projecting more prominently on the ulnar side. Anteriorly, the radial fossa lies above the capitulum and the coronoid fossa lies above the trochlea, while posteriorly the deep olecranon fossa excavates the distal shaft to accommodate the olecranon. Bony detail matters here. Clinically, this region drives elbow stability and guides fracture classification: pediatric supracondylar fractures occur proximal to the condylar flare, while intra-articular distal humerus fractures split the trochlea and capitulum and threaten congruity of the ulnohumeral and radiocapitellar joints. The relationship of the epicondyles to the articular spool is also the landmark set used to judge rotational alignment during open reduction and internal fixation and during total elbow arthroplasty templating, where small errors translate into altered carrying angle and loss of extension. Crisp separation of trochlear versus capitellar contours makes the common exam concept of valgus stress and radiocapitellar loading easy to teach. Use this illustration in upper limb gross anatomy labs, orthopedic teaching files discussing distal humerus fracture patterns, and medical publishing layouts that need a clean reference for the elbow’s osseous articular anatomy. It also suits radiology correlation pages that label the capitellum, trochlea, fossae, and epicondyles alongside AP and lateral elbow radiographs. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.