BRIEF SUMMARY In clinical massage therapy education, the bones and landmarks are the best place to start learning about the body and its complexities, since the skeletal system is the foundation that supports the weight of the body, protects the vital internal organs, and provides a place for enhancing palpatory skills for muscle identification. The skeleton is the structural framework that outlines, supports, and protects the body. Surface landmarks are essential for students to learn because they help build an understanding of where and how the muscles attach. The skull, vertebral column, and rib cage form the axial skeleton; the combination of the shoulder girdle and pelvic girdle and the upper and lower extremities forms the appendicular skeleton. The skeleton is adjoined by joints, ligaments, cartilage, and periosteum that stabilize, anchor, and assist the articulating bones for friction-free movement. REVIEW QUESTIONS List and identify the bones of the axial and appendicular divisions of the skeleton. Name, identify, and explain the
C1
and
C2
vertebrae and the specific joints and movements that occur within the articulations of the skull and
C1
and
C2
. Explain the anatomy and functions of the intervertebral, or spinal, disks. What are the functions of costal cartilage?