Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Which part of the human body is commonly referred to as the "funny bone"?

| Tuesday, May 13, 2025


 Which part of the human body is commonly referred to as the "funny bone"?


The part of the human body commonly referred to as the "funny bone" is not actually a bone at all, but rather a nerve called the ulnar nerve. This nerve runs along the inside of your elbow, near the surface of the skin, as it travels from the shoulder down to the hand. Specifically, it passes through a small tunnel of tissue called the cubital tunnel, located behind the bony bump on the inside of your elbow known as the medial epicondyle of the humerus bone.   

The peculiar sensation experienced when you strike your "funny bone" occurs because the ulnar nerve is quite exposed in this area and gets compressed against the humerus bone. This compression causes a temporary tingling, prickly, or sometimes painful sensation that can shoot down your forearm into your ring and pinky fingers, which are supplied by this nerve. The nickname "funny bone" is likely a play on words, as the bone in the upper arm is called the humerus, which sounds similar to "humorous," or it could simply refer to the strange, not particularly amusing, feeling you get when you hit it.


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