The femur is a long bone found in the high, extending from the pelvis to the knee.
Description
The femur is the longest bone in the human body, approximately ¼ of a person’s height. It supports the majority of one’s body weight during standing and when in movement. It can be divided into a proximal end, a shaft, and a distal end.
Proximal end of the femur
The proximal head of the femur has a distinct shape consisting of a head, neck and the lesser and greater trochanters.
- The head of the femur is spherical in shape.
- It articulates with the pelvis at the region of the acetabulum, creating a ball and socket type joint.
- The femoral head has a depression on its medial surface called the fovea, to which the ligament of the head attaches.
- The neck of the femur is a trapezoidal, narrow region that supports that head and connects it with the femoral shaft.
- The neck of the femur extends superomedially at an angle of about 125 degrees from the vertical axis. This angle is called the angle of inclination.
- At the junction between the femoral neck and the femoral shaft are two large elevations called the