This is a list of human anatomy mnemonics, categorized and alphabetized. For mnemonics in other medical specialties, see this list of medical mnemonics. Mnemonics serve as a systematic method for remembrance of functionally or systemically related items within regions of larger fields of study, such as those found in the study of specific areas of human anatomy, such as the bones in the hand, the inner ear, or the foot, or the elements comprising the human biliary system or arterial system.
Bones Bones of the Upper Limbs How Rare U Cook Mesquite Pork?
He Runs Up Cold Mountains Panting
Hurry! Ralph Untie Carol's Mini Pechay
He Races Until Chunky Men Pace
Humerus Radius Ulna Carpal bones Metacarpal bones Phalanges (In order from proximal to distal)
Bones of the Arm "Ultra Red Hair"
"Ultimate Rave Headquarters
Usually Really Hard
Unemployment Rises High Ulna Radius Humerus
Ulna Understand
Listen
Name
A bone
Bones of the Hand "Please Make Cookies"
"Please Massage Chest"
People Make Choices Phalanges Metacarpal bones Carpal bones (These are in order from the distal end of the fingertips to the wrist)
Carpal bones Carpal Bones: Sally Left The Party To Take Cathy Home:
She Looks Too Pretty Try To Catch Her:
Some Lovers Try Positions That They Can't Handle: Scaphoid, Lunate, Triquetrum, Pisiform, Trapezium, Trapezoid, Capitate, Hamate.
Carpal bones: So Long To Pinky, Here Comes The Thumb: Scaphoid, Lunate, Triquetrum, Pisiform, Hamate, Capitate, Trapezoid, Trapezium.
Carpal Bones:
Bones of the Phalanges Damn My Pinky!
Dick Move Pal!
Distance My People
Don't Make Problems Distal phalanx Middle phalanx Proximal phalanx (From distal to proximal.)
Bones of the head Cranial Bones F POETS "Fluffy Puppies On Every Third Street"
Fit People Occasionally Eat Table Salt
Fat People Only Eat Thick Steak
Funny People Over Entertainment Try Songs Frontal Parietal Occipital Ethmoid Temporal Sphenoid
Fraternity Parties Occasionally Teach Spam Etiquette Frontal Parietal Occipital Temporal Sphenoid Ethmoid
Old People From Texas Eat Spiders Occipital Parietal Frontal Temporal Ethmoid Sphenoid
Vomer Very bad
Odor
Makes my
Eyes
Run
Bones of the Pectoral Girdle and Arm CS
Clearwater Sucks
Crazy Seals Clavicle Scapula
Spine (Vertebral Column) Can This Little Servant Cook ?
Cervical vertebrae (Atlas (anatomy) = C1, Axis (anatomy) = C2) Thoracic vertebrae Lumbar vertebrae Sacral vertebrae Coccygeal vertebrae (These are in order superior to inferior- or starting from the top of the spine to the bottom.)
"Can Tall Ladies Sit Comfortably"
"Can The Ladies Stand Comfortably"
"Candy Takes Liking Stripping Catiously"
Can Tinkerbell Let Stars Collide?
Breakfast at 7:00 - 7 cervical vertebrae Lunch at 12:00 - 12 thoracic vertebrae Dinner at 5:00 - 5 lumbar vertebrae
Projections of Bone PTTTCC "People Take Teaspoons Temporarily Causing Constipation Process Tubercle Tuberosity Trochanter Condyle Crest
Humerus tubercles (Bone projections) Humerus tubercles
Girls In Leadership
Greater tubercle Intertubercular groove Lesser tubercle
Bone Markings of Humerus Let's Rewatch Criminal Minds
Let's Roll Clay Moons L-lateral epicondyle R-radial fossa C-coronoid fossa M-medial epicondyle
Holes and Depressions in Bones FFNF "Fireman Fight Notorious Fires
Flowers Flow Neatly Fabulously
Family Feuds are No Fun Foramen Fissure Notch Fossa
Muscles Rotator Cuff Muscles SITS
"Sit In The Seat" / The humerus SITS in the glenoid fossa
Shit I Trusted Sam
Swimming In The Summer
She Is The Scientist Supraspinatus Infraspinatus Teres Minor Subscapularis
Scooby Investigated The Mysterious Scene Supraspinatus Infraspinatus Teres Minor Subscapularis
Flexor muscles of the arm 3 Bs bend the elbow: (in order of location)
Biceps brachii Brachialis Brachioradialis
Anterior Flexor Muscles of the Forearm Cats Run Circles Under Dogs Stomachs
Can't Really Come Until Day Six Carpi Radialis Carpi Ulnaris Digitorum Superficialis
Anterior leg Compartment (muscles) "The Hospitals Are Not Dirty Places" Tibialis anterior extensor Hallucis longus anterior tibial Artery deep fibular Nerve extensor Digitorum longus Peroneus tertius [aka fibularis tertius]
"Those Horses Are Never Doing Pilates" Tibialis anterior extensor Hallucis longus anterior tibial Artery deep fibular Nerve extensor Digitorum longus Peroneus tertius [aka fibularis tertius]
"Tom Had A Night Down Town" Tibialis anterior extensor Hallucis longus anterior tibial Artery deep fibular Nerve extensor Digitorum longus Tertius for fibularis tertius
Posterior Leg Compartment (Posterior Ankle Structures) Tom Dig A Nice Hole Tibialis posterior Flexor Digitorum longus Artery - Posterior tibial artery Nerve - Tibial nerve Flexor Hallucis longus
Tom, Dick, And Very Naughty Harry Tibialis posterior Flexor Digitorum longus Posterior tibial Artery Posterior tibial Vein Tibial Nerve Flexor Hallucis longus
Tom, Dick, And Very Nervous Harry Tibialis posterior Flexor Digitorum longus Posterior tibial Artery Posterior tibial Vein Tibial Nerve Flexor Hallucis longus
Joint, suture, ligament, tendon Joint In The Wrist RIC "Rice Is Curing Radiocarpal Intercarpal Carpometacarpal
RIC "Really Interesting Crap Radiocarpal Intercarpal Carpometacarpal
Roads In California Radiocarpal Intercarpal Carpometacarpal
Rum In Coke Radiocarpal Intercarpal Carpometacarpal
Joints/Sutures of Skull CLSS "Crazy Llamas Sassing Santa Coronal suture Lambdoid suture Squamosal suture Sagittal suture
The Lazy Cat Sleeps Safely Temporomandibular joint Lambdoid suture Coronal suture Squamous suture Sagittal suture "Come Sing Love Songs" Coronal Suture Sagittal Suture Lambdoid Suture Squamous Suture
"Come Smoke L 's Sam Coronal Suture Sagittal Suture Lambdoid Suture Squamous Suture
"Can Seagulls Lift Snacks Coronal Suture Sagittal Suture Lambdoid Suture Squamous Suture
Pes anserinus A mnemonic to remember the muscles that contribute tendons to the pes anserinus and the innervations of these muscles is SGT FOT (sergeant FOT) S- Sartorius G- Gracilis T- semiTendinosus (from anterior to posterior). F- femoral nerve O- obturator nerve T- tibial division of the sciatic nerve. Notice the order of the muscles (S, G, T) follows the order of the innervating nerves which correspond to those muscles (F, O, T)
Another anterior to posterior is “Say Grace before Tea” Sartorius, Gracilis, semiTendinosus.
Vessels
Celiac trunk(Coeliac trunk): branches Left Hand Side (LHS):
Left gastric artery Hepatic artery Splenic artery
Tributaries of the Inferior vena cava "I Like To Rise So High" Iliac vein (common) Lumbar vein Testicular (gonadal) vein (direct tributary on right side; empties into left renal vein -> IVC on left side) Renal vein Suprarenal vein (same drainage as gonadal vein) Hepatic vein
Subclavian artery The branches of the subclavian artery can be remembered using VITamin C and D.
Vertebral Artery Internal Thoracic Artery Thyrocervical Trunk Costocervical Artery Dorsal Scapular Artery
Internal iliac artery: branches I Like Going Places Using My Very Own Unmanned Vehicle
Posterior division: Iliolumbar artery Lateral sacral artery Superior gluteal artery
Anterior division: Inferior gluteal artery Internal pudendal artery Umbilical artery Middle rectal artery Superior and inferior vesical artery Obturator artery Uterine artery (female) Vaginal artery (female)
Contents of canal & foramen Mediastinum Superior mediastinum The contents of superior mediastinum can be remembered using the mnemonic, "TT ET AV N LO"
or
"Try To Eat Toast And Vitamins Now Little Oliver"
Thymus Trachea Esophagus Thoracic duct Aortic arch Veins (Superior vena cava, brachiocephalic vein, left superior intercostal vein) Nerves (Vagus nerve, phrenic nerve, left recurrent laryngeal nerve) Lymphatics Other small arteries and veins
Inferior mediastinum Anterior inferior mediastinum The contents of anterior inferior mediastinum can be remembered using the mnemonic, "RT LN"
or
"ReTweet Light Novels!"
Remnants of the Thymus (inferior portion of thymus) Lymph Nodes
Middle inferior mediastinum The contents of middle inferior mediastinum can be remembered using the mnemonic, "PHP P ASP" or "PHP plus ASP"
or
"'Personal Home Page' plus 'Active Server Pages'"
Phrenic nerve Heart Pericardium Pericardiacophrenic artery Ascending aorta Superior vena cava Pulmonary trunk
Posterior inferior mediastinum The contents of posterior inferior mediastinum can be remembered using the mnemonic, "DATE VSL"
or
"on the DATE Vivian Slapped Larry"
Descending thoracic aorta Azygos veins (hemiazygos veins, accessory hemiazygos veins) Thoracic duct (Cisterna chyli) Esophagus (Esophageal plexus) Vagus nerve Splanchnic nerve (greater splanchnic nerve, lesser splanchnic nerve, least splanchnic nerve) Lymphatics
The contents of posterior mediastinum can be remembered using the mnemonic, "DATES" Descending aorta Azygous vein and hemiazygos vein Thoracic duct Esophagus Sympathetic trunk/ganglia.
Foramen magnum Contents of the foramen magnum: VAMPS-AT-SD
or
VAMPires Sing AT SD card Vertebral arteries Anterior spinal artery Meninges associated with the spinal cord Posterior spinal arteries Spinal roots of the accessory nerve (CN XI) Apical ligament of the dens Tectorial membrane Spinal cord Dural veins (Dural venous sinuses)
VAMPires Stalk At Twilight Seaking Damsels/Darkness
VAMPires Sing AT SunDown
Contents of the foramen magnum: VAMPS-ATM
or
VAMPires Sing AT Midnight Vertebral arteries Anterior spinal artery Meningeal branches of the cervical nerves Posterior spinal arteries Spinal part of the accessory nerve Alar and apical ligaments of the dens Tectorial membrane Medulla oblongata
Greater sciatic foramen Structures passing through greater sciatic foramen below piriformis (S.N.I.P. N.I.P.) sciatic nerve nerve to obturator internus internal pudendal vessel pudendal nerve nerve to quadratus femoris inferior gluteal vessels posterior cutaneous nerve of thigh
Lesser sciatic foramen Structures passing through lesser sciatic foramen: (P.I.N.T.) pudendal nerve internal pudendal vessels nerve to obturator internus tendon of obturator internus
Tarsal tunnel a mnemonic to remember the contents of the Tarsal tunnel from anterior to posterior is "Tom, Dick and Harry". or alternatively "Tom, Dick (and very nervous) Harry" if the artery, vein, and nerve are included.
Femoral triangle The femoral triangle is shaped like the sail of a sailing ship and hence its boundaries can be remembered using the mnemonic, "SAIL": Sartorius Adductor longus Inguinal Ligament.
The order of structures in the femoral triangle is important in the embalming of bodies, as the femoral artery is often exposed and used to pump embalming fluids into the body. The order of this neurovascular bundle can be remembered using the mnemonic, "NAVY": Nerve Artery Vein Y -fronts (the British term of a style of men's underwear with a Y-shaped front that acts as a fly). The "Y" is midline (corresponding with the penis) and the mnemonic always reads from lateral to medial (in other words, the Femoral Nerve is always lateral).
An alternate to this mnemonic is "NAVEL" for Nerve, Artery, Vein, Empty Space and Lymph, to include the deep inguinal lymph nodes located medial to the Femoral vein.
Popliteal fossa A useful mnemonic to remember popliteal fossa anatomy (medial-to-lateral arrangement) is: Serve And Volley Next Ball. S: semimembranosus and semitendinosus (superior medial border) A: artery (popliteal artery) V: vein (popliteal vein) N: nerve (tibial nerve) B: biceps femoris (superior lateral border). The lateral and medial heads of gastrocnemius form the inferior border.
Or Serve Aunt Vivvien Next Bowl
Carotid sheath contents I See 10 CC's in the IV:p. 1
I See (I.C.) = Internal Carotid artery 10 = CN 10 (Vagus nerve)