There are five classifications of bone in the body: long, short, flat, irregular, and sesamoid. The sternum, as well as many of the bones in the skull, are examples of flat bones.

Long bones have a greater length and diameter, while short bones have similar length and diameter measures. The femur is a long bone, while the carpals are short bones. Short bones generally appear square. Irregular bones have unique shapes, such as the sphenoid and ethmoid. Sesamoid bones are generally round and are embedded in tendon structures. The patella is a sesamoid bone.

The five types of bones are flat bones, short bones, long bones, irregular bones, and sesamoid bones. Flat bones are found in the skull, and contain suture joints that fuse together as a developing child ages. The frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital bones are all flat bones. Within the interior skull structure, the ethmoid and sphenoid bones are considered irregular bones.

The five types of bones are long bone, short bone, irregular bone, flat bone, and sesamoid bone. Irregular bones are categorized by a shape that does not fit into the other categories. Typical vertebrae do not fit into any geometric shape.

Ribs are considered flat bones. Flat bones are generally thin and flat, and can frequently be wide and/or curved. The ribs, sternum, and scapula are considered flat bones.

Long bones are classified as bones with a length that is substantially greater than their width, such as the femur, radius, and phalanges. Short bones, in contrast, have similar length and width measurements, such as the carpals and tarsals. Sesamoid bones are embedded in tendons, such as the patella. Intrasutural bones (or Wormian bones) are found between the primary bones of the skull in abnormal cases of suture formation during development.

The axis is the only bone listed that is not a long bone. The axis is the second cervical vertebra (C2) and is classified as an irregular bone.

The third metacarpal is the only bone listed that is not a short bone. It is a classifed as a long bone because of its shape and structure, even though it is small.

The scapula is the only bone listed that is a flat bone. The ulna is a long bone, the sphenoid is an irregular bone, and the patella is a sesamoid bone.

The only bone listed that is not an irregular bone is the frontal bone. The frontal bone is a flat bone.

The only bone listed that is a sesamoid bone is the pisiform. The ethmoid is an irregular bone, the talus is a short bone, and the rib is a flat bone.

The pelvis is considered to be part of the appendicular skeleton. The sacrum, mandible, and seventh thoracic vertebra are part of the axial skeleton.