Femur

Femur
Anterior view of the femur
Details
Origins	Gastrocnemius , Vastus lateralis, Vastus medialis, Vastus intermedius
Insertions	tensor fasciae latae, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, Gluteus maximus, Iliopsoas
Articulations	hip: acetabulum of pelvis superiorly knee: with the tibia and patella inferiorly
Identifiers
MeSH	D005269
TA98	A02.5.04.001
TA2	1360
FMA	9611
Anatomical terms of bone

The femur is the thigh bone. In humans, it is the longest, most voluminous, and strongest bone. The 'strongest bone in the body" theory is constantly debated between the femur and the temporal bone in the skull. The average human femur is 48 centimeters (19 in) in length and 2.34 cm (0.92 in) in diameter and can support up to 30 times the weight of an adult. It forms part of the hip (at the acetabulum) and part of the knee.

The word femur is Latin for thigh. Theoretically in strict usage, femur bone is more proper than femur, as in classical Latin femur means "thigh", and os femoris means "the thigh's bone".

In medical Latin its genitive is always femoris, but in classical Latin its genitive is often feminis, and should not be confused with case forms of femina, which means "woman".

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Intercondylar Fossa

The intercondylar fossa is present between the condyles at the distal end of the femur. In addition to the intercondylar eminence on the tibial plateau, there is both an anterior and posterior intercondylar fossa (area), the sites of anterior cruciate and posterior cruciate ligament attachment, respectively.

In other animals

Parallel structures by the same name exist in other complex animals, such as the bone inside a ham or a leg of lamb. The name femur is also given to the most proximal full-length jointed segment of an arthropod's leg.

External links

• Image with major components labeled at v
• Femoral fractures at aofoundation.org
• Cross section image: pembody/body18b—Plastination Laboratory at the Medical University of Vienna

Additional images

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  Knee diagram
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  Upper extremity of right femur viewed from behind and above.
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  Right femur. Anterior surface.
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  Right femur. Posterior surface.
• 
  Left hip-joint, opened by removing the floor of the acetabulum from within the pelvis.
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  Right knee-joint. Posterior view.
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  Left knee-joint from behind, showing interior ligaments.
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  Sagittal section of right knee-joint.
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  Capsule of right knee-joint (distended). Lateral aspect.
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  Capsule of right knee-joint (distended). Posterior aspect.
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  Cross-section through the middle of the thigh.
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  Deep muscles of the medial femoral region.