The femur, also known as the thigh bone, is the

longest bone of the human skeleton and is located

between the hip bone and the knee.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Describe the femur

KEY POINTS

The femur is one of the strongest bones in the human skeleton.

It functions in supporting the weight of the body and allowing motion of the
lower extremity.

The femur makes up part of the hip joint and the knee joint.

TERM

condyle

A smooth prominence on a bone where it forms a joint with another bone.

Give us feedback on this content:

FULL TEXT

The femur, or thigh bone, is the most proximal (closest to the center of the
body) bone of the leg in tetrapod vertebrates capable of walking or jumping,
such as most land mammals, birds, many reptiles such as lizards, and
amphibians such as frogs . In vertebrates with four legs such as dogs and
horses, the femur is found only in the rear legs. The head of the femur
articulates with the acetabulum in the pelvic bone to form the hip joint, while

the distal part of the femur articulates with the tibia and patella to form the
knee joint. By most measures, the femur is the strongest bone in the body.

Anterior Position of the Human Femur

The femurs are outlined in red.

The femur is the longest bone of the human skeleton and is located between
the hip bone and the knee. It is the only bone in the thigh. This bone is also
one of the strongest bones in the human skeleton. It functions in supporting
the weight of the body and allowing motion of the lower extremity.
The head (at the proximal extremity) of the femur articulates with the
acetabulum of the pelvis to form the hip joint . The lower extremity of the
femur (or distal extremity), which is larger, is somewhat cuboid in form and
consists of two oblong eminences known as the condyles. The articular
surface of the lower end of the femur occupies the anterior, inferior,
and posterior surfaces of the condyles. The front or anterior portion is the
patellar surface and articulates with the patella. The lower and posterior parts
articulate with the corresponding condyles of the tibia to form the knee joint.

Femur
The anterior surface of the femur with parts labeled

The lower and posterior parts of the articular surface constitute the tibial
surfaces forarticulation with the corresponding condyles of the tibia and
menisci.

The patella, also known as the knee cap, is a

triangular shaped bone found between the femur
and the tibia.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Identify the purpose of the patella

KEY POINTS

The primary functions of the patella are protection of the knee joint and
leg extension.
The lower part of the posterior surface has vascular canaliculi filled and is filled
by fatty tissue, which is the infrapatellar fat pad.
The patella is the largest sesamoid bone in the body. A sesamoid bone is a bone
that is embedded within atendon.

TERMS

patella

The sesamoid bone of the knee; the kneecap.

exostoses
An exostosis (plural: exostoses) is a benign bony growth, often covered
with cartilage, on the surface of a bone or tooth.
Give us feedback on this content:

FULL TEXT

The patella, also known as the knee cap, is a triangular-shaped bone found
between the femur and the tibia . The patella is the largest sesamoid bone in
the body. A sesamoid bone is embedded within a tendon.

Patella
Human left patella

The patella is roughly triangular in shape with its base facing proximally
(towards the torso) and its tip (apex patellae) facing distally (towards the feet).
Its anterior and posterior surfaces are joined laterally (left/right) by a thinner
margin and medially (towards center) by a thicker margin.
The anterior surface can be divided into three parts:

The upper third is coarse, flattened, and rough; it serves for the
attachment of the tendon of the quadriceps and often has exostoses.

The middle third has numerous vascular canaliculi.

The lower third includes the distal apex, which serves as the origin of
the patellar ligament.
The posterior surface is divided into two parts.The upper three-quarters
articulates with the femur and is subdivided into a medial and a lateral facet
by a vertical ledge which varies in shape.
Four main types of articular surface can be distinguished. Most commonly, the
medial articular surface is smaller than the lateral. Sometimes both articular
surfaces are virtually equal in size. Occasionally, the medial surface is
hypoplastic or the central ledge is only indicated. In an adult, the articular
surface is about 12 cm2 (1.9 sq in) and covered by cartilage, which can reach a
maximal thickness of six mm (0.24 in) in the center at about 30 years of age.
The lower part of the posterior surface has vascular canaliculi and is filled by
fatty tissue, which is the infrapatellar fat pad.
The patella protects the knee joint, but its primary functional role is knee
extension . The patella increases the leverage that the tendon can exert on the
femur by increasing the angle at which it acts.

Knee Joint
This image shows the position of the patella relative to the articulation of the femur and the
tibia.

Tibia and Fibula (Leg)

READ

PROPOSE A CHANGE
EDIT DISCUSSION HISTORY

SHARE THIS CONTENT

Assign Concept Reading

View Quiz
View PowerPoint Template

The tibia and the smaller fibula bones comprise the

lower leg and articulate at the knee and ankle.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Contrast the fibula with the tibia

KEY POINTS

The tibia, also known as the shinbone, is a long bone of the lower leg, found
between the patella and the ankle.
The fibula is a long, thin bone running parallel to the tibia.

Like the femur, the tibia bears much of the body's weight and plays an essential
role in movement and locomotion. The fibula, along with the tibia and the tarsals,
forms the ankle.

TERMS

fibula
The smaller of the two bones in the lower leg, the calf bone.

tibia
The inner and usually the larger of the two bones of the leg or hind limb below
the knee.
Give us feedback on this content:

FULL TEXT

Tibia and Fibula (Leg)

The Tibia
The tibia, also known as the shin bone, is a long bone of the lower leg found
between the patella and the ankle. It is the larger and stronger of the two
bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula), and
connects the knee with the ankle bones. The tibia is named for the Greek aulos
flute. It is commonly recognized as the strongest weight-bearing bone of the
body. It forms the medial part of the ankle joint and is the second largest bone
next to the femur. Like the femur, the tibia bears much of the body's weight
and plays an essential role in movement and locomotion. In the male, its
direction is vertical and parallel with the bone of the opposite side. In the
female, it has a slightly oblique direction downward and laterally, to
compensate for the greater obliqueness of the femur. The tibia is prismoid in

form, which means it is polyhedron-like in shape with parallel planes

containing an equal number of points. It is wider at the top, where it enters
into the knee-joint, contracted in the lower third, and again enlarged but to a
lesser extent towards the ankle joint.
The tibia derives its arterial blood supply from two sources: the
nutrient artery (main source) and the periosteal vessels derived from the
anterior tibial artery.
The superior tibiofibular articulation is an arthrodial joint between
the lateral condyleof the tibia and the head of the fibula. The inferior
tibiofibular articulation (tibiofibular syndesmosis) is formed by the rough,
convex surface of the medial side of the lower end of the fibula, and a rough
concave surface on the lateral side of the tibia. The tibia is connected to the
fibula by an interosseous membrane, forming a type of joint called a
syndesmosis. The forward flat part of the tibia is called the fibia, often
confused with the fibula.

The Fibula
The fibula, also known as the calf bone, is a long, thin bone running parallel to
the tibia. Its upper extremity is small, placed toward the back of the head of
the tibia, below the level of the knee-joint, and excluded from the formation of
this joint. Its lower extremity inclines a little forward so that it is on a plane

anterior to that of the upper end. It projects below the tibia forming the lateral
part of the ankle joint.
The fibula has the following components:

Body of fibula Lateral malleolus;

Interosseous membrane connecting the fibula to the tibia, forming

a syndesmosesjoint;

The superior tibiofibular articulation is an arthrodial joint between the

lateral condyle of the tibia and the head of the fibula;

The inferior tibiofibular articulation (tibiofibular syndesmosis) is

formed by the rough, convex surface of the medial side of the lower end of the
fibula, and a rough concave surface on the lateral side of the tibia.
The blood supply to the fibula is important for planning free tissue transfer
because the fibula is commonly used to reconstruct the mandible. The shaft is
supplied in its middle third by a large nutrient vessel from the fibular artery. It
is also perfused from its periosteum which receives many small branches from
the fibular artery. The proximal head and the epiphysis are supplied by a
branch of the anterior tibial artery. In harvesting the bone, the middle third is
always taken and the ends preserved (4 cm proximally and 6 cm distally).

In addition, in the tibia, ossification, which is the formation of the bone, starts
from three centers; one in the shaft and one in each extremity, while the fibula
is ossified from three centers, one for the shaft and another for either end. For
the fibula, ossification begins in the body about the eighth week of fetal life,
and extends toward the extremities. At birth the ends are cartilaginous.
Ossification commences in the lower end in the second year, and in the upper
end around 4 years old. The lower epiphysis, the first to ossify, unites with the
body around 20 years old and the upper epiphysis joins around 25 years old.

The Leg
Tibia and fibula in anatomical position with parts labeled.
Give us feedback on this content:

Tarsals, Metatarsals, and

Phalanges (Foot)
READ

PROPOSE A CHANGE
EDIT DISCUSSION HISTORY

SHARE THIS CONTENT

Assign Concept Reading

View Quiz
View PowerPoint Template

The human ankle and foot bones include tarsals

(ankle), metatarsals (middle bones), and phalanges
(toes).
LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Distinguish the subdivisions of the foot

KEY POINTS

The human foot and ankle are strong and complex mechanical structures
containing more than 26 bones (tarsals/ankle, metatarsals/mid-bones,
and phalanges/toes), 33 joints, and more than a hundred muscles,tendons, and
ligaments.
The foot can be subdivided into the hindfoot, the midfoot, and the forefoot.

The hindfoot is composed of the talus or ankle bone and the calcaneus or heel
bone.

The five irregular bones of the midfoot (the cuboid, navicular, and three
cuneiform bones) form the arches of the foot.

The forefoot is composed of five toes and the corresponding five proximal long
bones forming the metatarsus.

The human foot has two longitudinal arches and a transverse arch maintained by
the interlocking shapes of the foot bones, strong ligaments, and pulling muscles
during activity.

TERMS

metatarsus
The part of the foot between the toes and the ankle, especially its five bones.

tarsus
The part of the foot between the tibia and fibula and the metatarsus.

phalange
One of the bones of the finger or toe, also called phalanx.
Give us feedback on this content:

FULL TEXT

The human foot and ankle are strong and complex mechanical structures
containing more than 26 bones (tarsals/ankle, metatarsals/mid-bones, and
phalanges/toes ), 33 joints (20 of which are actively articulated), and more
than a hundred muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

Main parts of foot

Foot (anatomic): 1 - ankle, 2 - heel bone, 3 - instep, 4 - metatarsus, 5 - toe.

The foot can be subdivided into the hindfoot, the midfoot, and the forefoot.
The hindfoot is composed of the talus or ankle bone and the calcaneus or heel
bone. The two long bones of the lower leg, the tibia and fibula, are connected
to the top of the talus to form the ankle. Connected to the talus at the subtalar
joint, the calcaneus (the largest bone of the foot) is cushioned inferiorly by a
layer of fat.
The five irregular bones of the midfoot (the cuboid, navicular, and three
cuneiform bones) form the arches of the foot which serve as shock absorbers.
The midfoot is connected to the hind- and fore-foot by muscles and
the plantar fascia.

The forefoot is composed of five toes and the corresponding five proximal long
bones forming the metatarsus . Similar to the fingers of the hand, the bones of
the toes are called phalanges. The big toe has two phalanges, while the other
four toes have three phalanges. The joints between the phalanges are called
interphalangeal; those between the metatarsus and phalanges are called
metatarsophalangeal (MTP).

Arches of the Foot

Skeleton of foot. Lateral aspect.

Both the midfoot and forefoot constitute the dorsum (the area facing upwards
while standing) and the planum (the area facing downwards while standing).
The human foot has two longitudinal arches and a transverse arch maintained
by the interlocking shapes of the foot bones, strong ligaments, and pulling
muscles during activity. The slight mobility of these arches when weight is
applied to and removed from the foot makes walking and running more
economical in terms of energy. As can be examined in a footprint, the medial
longitudinal arch curves above the ground. This arch stretches from the heel

bone over the "keystone" ankle bone to the three medial metatarsals. In
contrast, the lateral longitudinal arch is very low. With the cuboid serving as
its keystone, it redistributes part of the weight to the calcaneus and
thedistal end of the fifth metatarsal. The two longitudinal arches serve as
pillars for the transverse arch which run obliquely across the tarsometatarsal
joints. Excessive strain on the tendons and ligaments of the feet can result in
fallen arches or flat feet.

Metatarsal
The metatarsus or metatarsal bones are a group of five long bones in the foot located
between the tarsal bones of the hind- and mid-foot and the phalanges of the toes.