AnatomyLower limbHip and thigh

Femur

Learning objectives

After completing this study unit you will be able to:

Describe all the anatomical landmarks of the femur.
Understand the articulations that the femur forms with the bones of the hip and leg.

Watch videos

The femur is the longest and strongest bone of the human body. It forms the skeletal framework of the thigh and contributes to two major body joints: the hip and knee. The majority of the muscles of the hip and thigh attach to the femur in order to produce the movements on these joints.

This video tutorial will describe the anatomy and function of the femur.

Take a quiz

Solidify your knowledge and resolve any potential weak spots with the quiz below.

If you would like to challenge yourself even further, try out our fully customizable quiz below on the hip and thigh. You can even save your selections and quiz yourself on it later.

Download the following PDF worksheets and identify the anatomical parts of the femur!

BLANK WORKSHEET (PDF)LABELED WORKSHEET (PDF)

Browse atlas

Take a closer look at the anatomical structure of the femur from an anterior view in the gallery below.

Explore the anatomical landmarks of the femur from a posterior perspective next.

Summary

Key points about the femur
Proximal end	Head of femur, fovea for ligament of head of femur, neck of femur, greater trochanter, trochanteric fossa, lesser trochanter, intertrochanteric line, intertrochanteric crest
Shaft	Linea aspera, pectineal line, gluteal tuberosity, popliteal surface, medial supracondylar line, lateral supracondylar line
Distal end	Medial condyle: Medial epicondyle, adductor tubercle Lateral condyle: Lateral epicondyle, groove for popliteus muscle Intercondylar fossa Intercondylar line Patellar surface
Joints	Hip joint, knee joint

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