Many international encyclopedias avoid giving an exact number of bones and joints of the human skeleton by classifying them into major groups or subdivision. The Encyclopedia Britannica classified them into three subdivisions:
1- The Axial Skeleton: which consists of the bones of the vertebral column and the majority of the skull bones.
2- The Visceral Skeleton: which consists of the thorax (the ribs and the breastbones), the lower jaw and some parts of the upper jaw.
3- The Appendicular Skeleton: which consists of the bones of the pelvic girdles, shoulders and limbs.
The Hatchinson Encyclopedia, published in 1995, mentioned that the number of bones in a human skeleton is only 206 bones.
In his book titled, "The Journey of Faith inside the Human Body", Dr.Hamid Ahmed Hamid mentioned that the total number of the human body joints is exactly 360, as the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) stated 1400 years ago. According to Dr. Hamid, the details of these bones are as follows:
First: 147 joints in the vertebral column
25 joints between the vertebrae.
72 joints between the vertebrae and the ribs.
Second: 24 joints in the thorax
2 joints between the bones of the sternum and the thoracic cage.
18 joints between the sternum and the ribs.
2 joints between the clavicle and the scapulae (shoulder blade).
2 joints between the scapulae and the thorax.
Third: 86 joints in the upper extremity
2 joints between the scapular bones.
6 joints between the elbows.
8 joints between the wrists.
70 joints between the hand bones.
Fourth: 92 joints in the lower extremity
2 hip joints.
6 joints between the knee bones.
6 joints between the ankles.
74 joints between the feet bones.
Fifth: 11 joints in the Pelvis
4 joints between the coccyx vertebrae.
6 joints between the bones acetabulm.
1 joint of the pubic sumphysis.
Total number of joints: 360
Those joints, mentioned in the hadith, are the movable joints in the human body, which give the ability to the vertebral column and hence the whole body to move freely. The immovable joints, as those joining the skull bones, are not counted here. The movable ones are also known as "The Synovial joints", for they contain a fluid known as the "Synonvial fluid". This fluid allows friction-free movement of the bones by reducing direct contact. For example, the hip joint, composed of a ball-like head of the femur that fits into a socket-like depression of the pelvis bone, makes the hip and the whole leg movements easy and flexible. Another example is the Hinge joint, which enables man to easily bend his leg.
Another type of joints is called "The Gliding joints" as that of the radiocarpal (wrist) joint. In this joint, the facing bone surfaces are in most cases flat, allowing the bones to glide freely in several directions. The joint between the two upper vertebrae has a special structure. It allows the side movement of the head, through the rotation of the ball-like head of one vertebra into the socket-like depression of the other vertebra.
Notice:
Man would not have been able to move one bone in his body. The defect in one joint causes a lot of pain and problems.
