Anterolateral Surface Of The Humerus, Lateral View

Description

Humeral shaft anatomy dominates this lateral view of the anterolateral surface of the brachium, extending from the proximal metaphysis near the surgical neck to the distal flare toward the lateral supracondylar ridge. Along the mid-diaphysis, the deltoid tuberosity creates a subtle lateral roughening, positioned inferior to the greater tubercle and lateral to the anterior shaft contour. Proximally, the lateral aspect of the greater tubercle and the transition into the anatomical neck region are suggested at the superior end, while distally the contour narrows toward the lateral epicondylar region, with the anterior distal humerus turning away medially toward the coronoid and radial fossae. Landmarks read cleanly. An anterolateral emphasis matters because it matches how clinicians palpate and how surgeons orient during exposure for humeral shaft fixation, where the deltoid insertion and the lateral column guide plate placement and screw trajectory. The lateral perspective also helps separate true lateral cortex from the more anterior surface, a distinction that becomes practical when teaching the safe corridor for anterolateral plating and when discussing why spiral and oblique diaphyseal fractures can threaten adjacent soft tissues such as the radial nerve as it courses posteriorly in the radial (spiral) groove. Surface anatomy is the teaching point here, not cancellous detail. Use this illustration in upper-limb osteology labs, orthopedic teaching files on humeral shaft fractures (Holstein-Lewis patterns included), and atlas-style layouts that need a single, unambiguous reference for lateral humeral surface landmarks and muscle attachment orientation. It also fits operative technique manuals describing an anterolateral approach to the humerus and preoperative planning materials where cortical surfaces must be identified at a glance. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.