The ten longest bones in the human skeleton, ranked by average length — from the femur at 50 cm down to the sternum at 15 cm.
Quick answer: 1. Femur (thigh bone), 2. Tibia (shin bone), 3. Fibula (calf bone), 4. Humerus (upper arm bone), 5. Ulna (inner forearm bone), 6. Radius (outer forearm bone), 7. 7th rib, 8. 8th rib, 9. Innominate bone (hip bone), 10. Sternum (breastbone).
The human skeleton is made of 206 bones that range from the tiny stapes of the middle ear (just 3 mm) to the femur, the body's longest and strongest bone at roughly half a meter. The longest bones are the ones that bear the most weight and enable the largest movements — walking, running, lifting, and throwing. This list ranks the ten longest bones in the average adult human skeleton by length, based on standard anatomical reference values. Lengths are averages for an adult male skeleton; female averages are typically 5–10% shorter. All bones listed here are classified as long bones except the innominate (hip bone, an irregular bone) and the sternum (a flat bone), which are included because they are among the longest bones by absolute length even though they do not fit the classic long-bone shape.
The longest, strongest, and heaviest bone in the human body. The femur extends from the hip joint to the knee joint and can withstand compressive forces of up to 2,500 pounds (1,100 kg). It accounts for roughly a quarter of a person's height.
The second-longest bone and the main weight-bearing bone of the lower leg. The tibia forms the shin and articulates with the femur at the knee and the talus at the ankle. Its shaft is triangular in cross-section and lies just under the skin along the front of the leg, making it easily palpable.
The slender, lateral bone of the lower leg. Although nearly as long as the tibia, the fibula is much thinner and bears only about one-sixth of the body's weight. It serves primarily as an attachment site for muscles of the lower leg and helps stabilize the ankle joint.
The longest bone of the upper limb, extending from the shoulder joint to the elbow. The head of the humerus forms a ball-and-socket joint with the scapula, giving the arm its wide range of motion. The humerus also features the deltoid tuberosity, a prominent ridge where the deltoid muscle attaches.
The medial bone of the forearm, located on the little-finger side. The ulna is longer than the radius and forms the elbow's prominent olecranon process — the bony point of the elbow. It articulates with the humerus at the elbow and with the radius and wrist bones at the forearm.
The lateral bone of the forearm, on the thumb side. The radius is slightly shorter than the ulna but plays the primary role in wrist rotation — it rotates around the ulna during pronation and supination of the hand. The distal end of the radius is the most commonly fractured bone in the forearm, especially in falls.
The longest of the twelve pairs of ribs. The 7th rib is a true rib — it attaches directly to the sternum via its own costal cartilage. Ribs curve around the chest cavity, protecting the lungs and heart while allowing the rib cage to expand during breathing. The 7th rib is typically the longest, measuring about 24 cm along its curved length.
The 8th rib is a false rib — it attaches to the sternum indirectly through the costal cartilage of the 7th rib. It is the second-longest rib, about 23 cm along its curve, and forms part of the lower rib cage that protects the abdominal organs as well as the lower lungs.
The innominate bone, or os coxae, is a large, irregular bone formed by the fusion of three bones in childhood: the ilium, ischium, and pubis. It forms the pelvis and articulates with the sacrum at the sacroiliac joint and with the femur at the hip joint. Though not a long bone, it is the ninth-longest bone in the skeleton when measured along the iliac crest from the posterior superior iliac spine to the pubic symphysis.
The sternum is a flat, elongated bone running down the center of the chest. It consists of three parts: the manubrium (upper), the body (middle, longest section), and the xiphoid process (lower tip). The sternum anchors the rib cage anteriorly, attaching to the clavicles at the top and directly to the costal cartilages of the first seven ribs. Despite being a flat bone, its length of about 15 cm makes it the tenth-longest bone in the skeleton.
| # | Name | Bone type | Location | Articulates with | Adult range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Femur (thigh bone) | Long bone | Upper leg (thigh) | Hip (proximal), Knee (distal) | 44–56 cm |
| 2 | Tibia (shin bone) | Long bone | Lower leg (medial) | Knee (proximal), Ankle (distal) | 38–48 cm |
| 3 | Fibula (calf bone) | Long bone | Lower leg (lateral) | Knee (proximal, tibiofibular), Ankle (distal) | 36–45 cm |
| 4 | Humerus (upper arm bone) | Long bone | Upper arm | Shoulder (proximal), Elbow (distal) | 32–41 cm |
| 5 | Ulna (inner forearm bone) | Long bone | Forearm (medial / little-finger side) | Elbow (proximal), Wrist (distal) | 25–31 cm |
| 6 | Radius (outer forearm bone) | Long bone | Forearm (lateral / thumb side) | Elbow (proximal), Wrist (distal) | 23–29 cm |
| 7 | 7th rib | Flat bone (curved) | Chest (rib cage, 7th pair) | Vertebrae (posterior), Sternum via costal cartilage (anterior) | 22–27 cm |
| 8 | 8th rib | Flat bone (curved) | Chest (rib cage, 8th pair) | Vertebrae (posterior), Costal cartilage of 7th rib (anterior) | 21–26 cm |
| 9 | Innominate bone (hip bone) | Irregular bone (flat at ilium) | Pelvis | Sacrum (sacroiliac joint), Femur (hip joint / acetabulum) | 16–21 cm |
| 10 | Sternum (breastbone) | Flat bone | Center of chest | Clavicles (superior), Ribs 1–7 via costal cartilage | 14–17 cm |
Items are ranked by the average length (in centimeters) of each bone in an adult human skeleton, drawn from standard anatomical reference works including Gray's Anatomy, Grant's Atlas of Anatomy, and the anatomical tables compiled by the University of Michigan Medical School. Lengths are measured along the longest axis of each bone. Values are averages for an adult male of typical stature (approximately 175 cm / 5 ft 9 in); individual variation is significant — the femur alone can range from 42 to 56 cm depending on height, sex, and ancestry. Rank 1 is the longest bone.
The femur (thigh bone) is the longest bone in the human body, averaging about 50 cm (20 inches) in an adult male. It is also the strongest bone, capable of withstanding up to 2,500 pounds of compressive force.
The tibia (shin bone) is the second-longest bone, averaging about 43 cm (17 inches). It is the main weight-bearing bone of the lower leg.
The stapes (stirrup bone) in the middle ear is the smallest bone at just 3 mm (0.12 inches) — making it more than 160 times shorter than the femur.
Yes. On average, female bones are 5–10% shorter than male bones of the same type, reflecting the average height difference between sexes. The femur of an average adult woman, for example, is about 45 cm compared to 50 cm in an average adult man.