osteology

Femur

Plan

· head rises forward and upward from shaft

· due to angle of neck on shaft

· trochanters at base of neck

· for attachment of muscles

· shaft with forward convexity

· prominent posterior ridge

· expanded to condyles distally

Head

· more than half a sphere

· medial convexity has fovea

· pit for attachment of ligamentum teres

· covered with articular cartilage

· extends on neck anteriorly

· for weight-bearing in flexed hip

· synovial membrane attached to articular margin

Neck

· forward angle of 30^o with shaft

· neck makes angle with shaft

· 140^o in male and 120^o in female

· angle strengthened by calcar

· flange of bone that projects into neck

· grooves on neck from attachment of retinacular fibres

· neck joins greater trochanter anteriorly at intertrochanteric line

· rough ridge

· attaches capsule (whole of anterior neck intracapsular)

· uppermost and lowermost parts of line raised as tubercles

· attaches limbs of Y-shaped iliofemoral ligament

· neck joins greater trochanter posteriorly at intertrochanteric crest

· prominent ridge

· capsule attached halfway along neck

· lower part of neck bare (tendon of obturator externus crosses it)

Trochanters

Greater trochanter

· upper border forms inturned apex posteriorly

· medial surface attaches piriformis

· attaches tricipital tendon of obturator internus and gamelli anterior to this

· apex overlies trochanteric fossa

· attaches obturator externus

· anterior surface has J-shaped ridge

· for gluteus minimus

· lateral surface has smooth strip

· extends upwards and backwards from J-shaped ridge

· for gluteus medius

· trochanteric crest continues posteriorly from apex

· quadrate tubercle halfway down crest

· heaping up formed by fusion of epiphysis

· quadratus femoris attaches from tubercle vertically downwards to level that bisects lesser trochanter

· to start of gluteal crest

Lesser trochanter

· surface attaches tendon of psoas

· iliacus inserts in front of tendon and below trochanter

Shaft

· forward convexity

· linea aspera along middle third posteriorly

· medial and lateral lips

· medial lip

· intertrochanteric line spirals around medial shaft below lesser trochanter as spiral line

· becomes medial lip

· medial lip continues as medial supracondylar line to adductor tubercle

· lateral lip

· gluteal crest is vertical line on back of trochanter below greater trochanter

· attaches gluteus maximus

· crest continues down into lateral lip

· lateral lip continues as lateral supracondylar line to lateral epicondyle

· vastus medialis attaches to

· lower 1/2 of intertrochanteric line

· spiral line

· medial lip of linea aspera

· upper 1/3 of medial supracondylar line

· vastus lateralis attaches to

· upper 1/2 of intertrochanteric line

· lower part of J-shaped ridge for gluteus minimus

· gluteal crest

· lateral lip of linea aspera

· upper 2/3 of lateral supracondylar line

· vastus intermedius attaches to

· upper 2/3 of anterolateral shaft

· pectineus attaches to

· angle between spiral line and gluteal crest behind iliacus

· adductor magnus attaches to

· gluteal crest edge-to-edge with quadratus femoris

· middle part of linea aspera

· medial supracondylar line to adductor tubercle

· gap in medial supracondylar line for femoral vessels

· attached to linea aspera

· short head of biceps between vastus lateralis and adductor magnus

· adductor brevis (upper 1/3) and longus (lower 2/3) between vastus medialis and adductor magnus

· popliteal surface

· between supracondylar lines

· bare

Lower end

· 2 condyles separated by

· intercondylar notch behind

· trochlear surface in front

· lateral condyle projects further forward and trochlea extends more proximally laterally

· condyles

· lateral passes straight back

· medial curved and inclined from sagittal plane

· both curved posteriorly

· joined posteriorly by intercondylar ridge

· encloses intercondylar fossa

· oblique popliteal ligament attaches just above ridge

· cruciates attach to fossa

Medial condyle

· medial surface

· epicondyle with smooth area for MCL

· adductor tubercle above it for adductor magnus

· posterior surface

· medial head of gastrocnemius attaches to area between adductor tubercle and articular margin

· smooth area with superior roughened area

Lateral condyle

· plantaris arises from lower part of lateral supracondylar line

· vertical line of 3 pits below this

· uppermost for lateral head of gastrocnemius

· central called lateral epicondyle for LCL

· lowermost for popliteus with groove behind it for tendon

Capsule and synovium

· synovial membrane attached to articlar margins

· capsule attached to articular margin except

· posteriorly to intercondylar ridge

· laterally above pit and groove for popliteus

Vase of attachments

· medial edge

· vastus medialis

· lateral edge

· vastus lateralis

· medial stem (from lesser trochanter)

· Psoas

· Iliacus

· Pectineus

· Adductor Longus

· lateral stem (from gluteal crest)

· Gluteus maximus

· Biceps short head

· middle stem (from quadrate tubercle)

· quadratus femoris

· adductor magnus

· loose stem (between medial and middle)

· adductor brevis