Femur

The femur is the longest and heaviest bone in the body. The femur consists of a diaphysis and two epiphyses. It articulates proximally with the hip bone and distally with the patella and tibia.

Proximal Epiphysis

• Femur Head – is smooth and rounded
• Femoral Head Fovea – located on the femoral head
• Anatomical Neck – connects the head with the body
• Greater Trochanter – Large, irregular, quadrilateral eminence located on the upper border of the femur
• Lesser Trochanter – located posteriorly at the base of the cervix. It is a conical eminence that can vary in size.
• Intertrochanteric Line – runs from the greater trochanter to the lesser trochanter on the anterior surface
• Intertrochanteric Crest – A prominent ridge located on the posterior surface, running in an oblique curve from the top of the greater to the lesser trochanter.

Distal Epiphysis

• Patellar Face – articulates with the patella
• Medial Condyle – articulates with the tibia medially
• Lateral Condyle – articulates with the tibia laterally
• Intercondylar fossa – located between the condyles
• Medial Epicondyle – rough prominence located medial to the medial condyle
• Lateral Epicondyle – rough prominence located lateral to the lateral condyle

Body

• Linea aspera – located on the posterior surface of the femur.

Distally, the linea aspera bifurcates bordering the popliteal surface and proximally trifurcates into:

• Gluteal Line
• Pectineal Line
• spiral line

The Femur articulates with three bones: the Iliac, Patella and Tibia.

FEMUR - ANTERIOR VIEW

Source: NETTER, Frank H.. Atlas of Human Anatomy. 2nd edition Porto Alegre: Artmed, 2000.

FEMUR - BACK VIEW

Source: NETTER, Frank H.. Atlas of Human Anatomy. 2nd edition Porto Alegre: Artmed, 2000.