What does appendicular mean?
Appendicular is an adjective of anatomy that denotes anything relating to the limbs or appendages of the body. In human anatomy it most often appears in the phrase 'appendicular skeleton', which designates the 126 bones of the pectoral and pelvic girdles together with the bones of the arms and legs — everything not part of the axial skeleton of the skull, spine, ribs, and sternum. The word also applies to the appendicular musculature, the muscles that move the limbs, and to comparable structures in other animals, where comparative anatomists trace how fins evolved into weight-bearing limbs. Strictly technical in register, appendicular is used by physicians, radiologists, physiotherapists, and biologists rather than in general conversation, and it almost always functions attributively, preceding the noun it qualifies. Its value lies in providing a precise counterpart to 'axial', allowing clinicians and scientists to divide the body cleanly into its central core and its mobile extremities.
adjectiveRelating to or situated in the limbs (the arms and legs) of the body, especially as distinguished from the axial skeleton. In anatomy, it describes structures associated with the appendages, such as the appendicular skeleton comprising the pectoral and pelvic girdles and the limb bones.
- Relating to the limbs or appendages of the body, especially the bones and muscles of the arms and legs as distinct from the axial skeleton.
"The radiologist noted a fracture in the appendicular skeleton, specifically in the patient's left femur."
"Injuries to the appendicular skeleton are among the most common reasons for emergency orthopaedic consultations."
"Comparative anatomists study how the appendicular skeleton evolved from the fins of early fish into the limbs of land vertebrates."
Your body has two skeletons in one: an 'axial' one holding you upright, and an 'appendicular' one — all 126 bones of your arms, legs, shoulders, and hips — that lets you actually move through the world.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of appendicular
Appendicular derives from Latin 'appendicula', a diminutive of 'appendix' meaning a small attachment or appendage, itself rooted in the verb 'appendo', 'to hang something onto'. The adjective entered scientific English in the nineteenth century as anatomists formalised the division between the axial and appendicular parts of the skeleton. It shares this Latin root with related words such as 'appendix', 'appendage', and 'append'.
How appendicular is actually used
A technical term used almost exclusively in anatomy, medicine, zoology, and related sciences; rarely encountered in everyday speech. It is nearly always used attributively before another noun (e.g. 'appendicular skeleton', 'appendicular muscles') rather than predicatively.
Easily confused with appendicular
Axial refers to the central axis of the body — skull, vertebral column, ribs, and sternum — whereas appendicular refers to the limbs and their supporting girdles.