The axial skeleton is a part of the skeletal system. This component of the
human body provides a function that is equivalent to the stem of a tree. Everything
tends to revolve around the axial skeleton. It harbors the brain, the spinal cord, and
nerve “exits,” just as its rib cage provides accommodation for the heart and lungs. With
the combination of flexibility and rigidity, the cartilages and hyoid bone provide
stability to the trachea and larynx and avoid the collapse of this “gateway” to the rest of
the respiratory system. The bony aspect of the axial skeleton is made up of eighty
bones; these bones include the tiny ossicles (malleus, incus, and stapes bilaterally)[1].
A good understanding of the bones, cartilages, and ligaments of the axial skeleton is
important for every medical student and practicing doctor. All forms of medical
imaging for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes are applicable to the axial skeleton. It
deservingly takes Chapter 4 of this book.
Keywords: Cervical spine, Clavicles, Lumbar spine, Ribs, Skull, Sacrum, Sternum, Thoracic spine.
