Femur

The femur bone is a major part of mobility, such as standing and walking. It is also essential for supporting many muscles, ligaments, tendons, and circulatory systems.

Femur Meaning

The femur is the thigh bone in vertebrate animals. It is the strongest bone in the body and the only bone in the upper leg. And in humans, it is also the largest and thickest bone. The femur bone is a major part of mobility. It runs from your hip to your knee. And the head of the femur connects to the cotyloid cavity in the pelvic bone that forms the hip joint. The other end of the femur (distal) connects to the shinbone (tibia) and kneecap (patella). We may not give the femur bones much thought, but they are the reason we can move, stand, and hold weight.

Femur Pronunciation

You pronounce femur as [fee | mr].

Femure Structure

The femur is a long cylindrical shaft with rounded heads. The heads articulate with the adjacent hip and knee bones. The bone has three parts.

The upper end is nearest the torso and contains the head, neck, two trochanters (greater and lesser), and the Intertrochanteric line and crest.

The Body, or shaft, comprises the large, thick cylindrical middle section of the femur. This area contains the linea aspera, gluteal tuberosity, pectineal line, and popliteal fossa. And the lower end closest to your knee is the thicket bone in your lower extremities. This area contains the condyles, epicondyles, and intercondylar fossa.

Femur Function

The femur bone is a major part of mobility, such as standing and walking. It is also essential for supporting many muscles, ligaments, tendons, and circulatory systems. It is an attachment point for all of the muscles in the hip and knee joints.

What Animals Have Femurs?

Femur bones are found in tetrapod vertebrates or those with a skeletal system and four limbs. Many animals fit into this category, including humans, primates, cows, elephants, birds, and many other four-limbed creatures. Non-walking vertebrates, like whales and snakes, have vestigial femurs or femur remnants.