Upper Part: Genu Valgum (Knock Knee) Genu Varum (Bow-Leggedness)

The femur (/ˈfiːmər/, pl.
femurs or femora /ˈfɛmərə/)[1][2], or thigh bone, is the proximal bone of the

hindlimb in tetrapod vertebrates (for example, the largest bone of the human thigh). The head of the
femur articulates with the acetabulum in the pelvic bone forming the hip joint, while the distal part of
the femur articulates with the tibia and kneecap, forming the knee joint. By most measures the two (left
and right) femurs are the strongest bones of the body, and in humans,[vague] the longest. thigh bone, is
the proximal bone of the hindlimb in tetrapod vertebrates (for example, the largest bone of the human
thigh). The head of the femur articulates with the acetabulum in the pelvic bone forming the hip joint,
while the distal part of the femur articulates with the tibia and kneecap, forming the knee joint. By most
measures the two (left and right) femurs are the strongest bones of the body, and in humans,[vague]
the longest.
he femur is the only bone in the upper leg. The two femurs converge medially toward the knees,
where they articulate with the proximal ends of the tibiae. The angle of convergence of the femora is
a major factor in determining the femoral-tibial angle. Human females have wider pelvic bones,
causing their femora to converge more than in males.
In the condition genu valgum (knock knee) the femurs converge so much that the knees touch one
another. The opposite extreme is genu varum (bow-leggedness). In the general population of people
without either genu valgum or genu varum, the femoral-tibial angle is about 175 degrees. [3]
The femur is the longest and, by some measures, the strongest bone in the human body. This
depends on the type of measurement taken to calculate strength. Some strength tests show the
temporal bone in the skull to be the strongest bone. The femur length on average is 26.74% of a
person's height,[4] a ratio found in both men and women and most ethnic groups with only restricted
variation, and is useful in anthropology because it offers a basis for a reasonable estimate of a
subject's height from an incomplete skeleton.
The femur is categorised as a long bone and comprises a diaphysis (shaft or body) and
two epiphyses (extremities) that articulate with adjacent bones in the hip and knee. [3]
Upper part[edit]
Main article: Upper extremity of femur
The upper extremity of right femur viewed from behind and above, showing head, neck, and
the greater and lesser trochanter
The upper or proximal extremity (close to the torso) contains the head, neck, the two trochanters and

adjacent structures.[3]
The head of the femur, which articulates with the acetabulum of the pelvic bone, comprises two-
thirds of a sphere. It has a small groove, or fovea, connected through the round ligament to the sides
of the acetabular notch. The head of the femur is connected to the shaft through the neck or collum.
The neck is 4–5 cm. long and the diameter is smallest front to back and compressed at its middle.
The collum forms an angle with the shaft in about 130 degrees. This angle is highly variant. In
the infant it is about 150 degrees and in old age reduced to 120 degrees on average. An abnormal
increase in the angle is known as coxa valga and an abnormal reduction is called coxa vara. Both
the head and neck of the femur is vastly embedded in the hip musculature and can not be
directly palpated. In skinny people with the thigh laterally rotated, the head of the femur can be felt
deep as a resistance profound (deep) for the femoral artery.[3]
The transition area between the head and neck is quite rough due to attachment of muscles and
the hip joint capsule. Here the two trochanters, greater and lesser trochanter, are found. The greater
trochanter is almost box-shaped and is the most lateral prominent of the femur. The highest point of
the greater trochanter is located higher than the collum and reaches the midpoint of the hip joint. The
greater trochanter can easily be felt. The trochanteric fossa is a deep depression bounded
posteriorly by the intertrochanteric crest on medial surface of the greater trochanter. The lesser
trochanter is a cone-shaped extension of the lowest part of the femur neck. The two trochanters are
joined by the intertrochanteric crest on the back side and by the intertrochanteric line on the front.[3]
A slight ridge is sometimes seen commencing about the middle of the intertrochanteric crest, and
reaching vertically downward for about 5 cm. along the back part of the body: it is called the linea
quadrata (or quadrate line).
About the junction of the upper one-third and lower two-thirds on the intertrochanteric crest is
the quadrate tubercle located. The size of the tubercle varies and it is not always located on the
intertrochanteric crest and that also adjacent areas can be part of the quadrate tubercle, such as the
posterior surface of the greater trochanter or the neck of the femur. In a small anatomical study it
was shown that the epiphyseal line passes directly through the quadrate tubercle.[5]
Body[edit]
Main article: Body of femur
The body of the femur (or shaft) is long, slender and almost cylindrical in form. It is a little broader
above than in the center, broadest and somewhat flattened from before backward below. It is slightly
arched, so as to be convex in front, and concave behind, where it is strengthened by a prominent
longitudinal ridge, the linea aspera which diverges proximally and distal as the medial and lateral
ridge. Proximally the lateral ridge of the linea aspera becomes the gluteal tuberosity while the medial
ridge continues as the pectineal line. Besides the linea aspera the shaft has two other bordes;
a lateral and medial border. These three bordes separates the shaft into three surfaces:
One anterior, one medial and one lateral. Due to the vast musculature of the thigh the shaft can not
be palpated.[3]
The third trochanter is a bony projection occasionally present on the proximal femur near the
superior border of the gluteal tuberosity. When present, it is oblong, rounded, or conical in shape
and sometimes continuous with the gluteal ridge.[6] A structure of minor importance in humans, the
incidence of the third trochanter varies from 17–72% between ethnic groups and it is frequently
reported as more common in females than in males.[7]

Upper Part: Genu Valgum (Knock Knee) Genu Varum (Bow-Leggedness)

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The femur (/ˈfiːmər/, pl.

femurs or femora /ˈfɛmərə/)[1][2], or thigh bone, is the proximal bone of the

The upper or proximal extremity (close to the torso) contains the head, neck, the two trochanters and

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