Arm skin

Cutis membri superioris

Integumentary (skin)SkinArmLeft and right

View left in 3D View right in 3D

What it is

Skin of the upper arm, elbow and forearm, showing the biceps and triceps bulges, the olecranon and epicondyles at the elbow and the fleshy forearm muscle masses tapering to the flattened wrist.

Function

Protective, sensory and thermoregulatory covering of the arm; the skin over the olecranon is loose and wrinkled so the elbow can flex fully.

Size

Shoulder to wrist ~57 cm; each arm ≈ 9 % of body surface (rule of nines)

Clinical note

The cubital fossa at the front of the elbow is the usual site for drawing blood, because the median cubital vein lies just under the thin skin there.