The body of femur (or shaft of femur) is the almost cylindrical, long part of the

femur The femur (; ), or thigh bone, is the proximal bone of the hindlimb in tetrapod vertebrates. The head of the femur articulates with the acetabulum in the pelvic bone forming the hip joint, while the distal part of the femur articulates with ...

. It is a little broader above than in the center, broadest and somewhat flattened from before backward below. It is slightly arched, so as to be convex in front, and concave behind, where it is strengthened by a prominent longitudinal ridge, the

linea aspera The linea aspera ( la, rough line) is a ridge of roughened surface on the posterior surface of the shaft of the femur. It is the site of attachments of muscles and the intermuscular septum. Its margins diverge above and below. The linea asper ...

. It presents for examination three borders, separating three surfaces. Of the borders, one, the linea aspera, is posterior, one is medial, and the other, lateral.

Borders

The borders of the femur are the linea aspera, a medial border, and a lateral border.

Linea aspera border

The

is a prominent longitudinal ridge or crest, on the middle third of the bone, presenting a medial and a lateral lip, and a narrow rough, intermediate line. Above, the linea aspera is prolonged by three ridges. The lateral ridge termed the

gluteal tuberosity The gluteal tuberosity is the lateral one of the three upward prolongations of the linea aspera of the femur, extending to the base of the greater trochanter. It serves as the principal insertion site for the gluteus maximus muscle. Structure T ...

is very rough, and runs almost vertically upward to the base of the

greater trochanter The greater trochanter of the femur is a large, irregular, quadrilateral eminence and a part of the skeletal system. It is directed lateral and medially and slightly posterior. In the adult it is about 2–4 cm lower than the femoral head.Stan ...

. It gives attachment to part of the

gluteus maximus The gluteus maximus is the main extensor muscle of the hip. It is the largest and outermost of the three gluteal muscles and makes up a large part of the shape and appearance of each side of the hips. It is the single largest muscle in the human ...

: its upper part is often elongated into a roughened crest, on which a more or less well-marked, rounded tubercle, the

third trochanter In human anatomy, the third trochanter is a bony projection occasionally present on the proximal femur near the superior border of the gluteal tuberosity. When present, it is oblong, rounded, or conical in shape and sometimes continuous with the g ...

, is occasionally developed. The intermediate ridge or pectineal line is continued to the base of the

lesser trochanter The lesser trochanter is a conical posteromedial bony projection of the femoral shaft. it serves as the principal insertion site of the iliopsoas muscle. Structure The lesser trochanter is a conical posteromedial projection of the shaft of the f ...

and gives attachment to the

pectineus The pectineus muscle (, from the Latin word ''pecten'', meaning comb) is a flat, quadrangular muscle, situated at the anterior (front) part of the upper and medial (inner) aspect of the thigh. The pectineus muscle is the most anterior adductor o ...

; the medial ridge is lost in the

intertrochanteric line The intertrochanteric line (or ''spiral line of the femur''White (2005), p 256 ) is a line located on the anterior side of the proximal end of the femur. Structure The rough, variable ridge stretches between the lesser trochanter and the greater t ...

; between these two a portion of the

iliacus The iliacus is a flat, triangular muscle which fills the iliac fossa. It forms the lateral portion of iliopsoas, providing flexion of the thigh and lower limb at the acetabulofemoral joint. Structure The iliacus arises from the iliac fossa on t ...

is inserted. Below, the linea aspera is prolonged into two ridges, enclosing between them a triangular area, the popliteal surface, upon which the

popliteal artery The popliteal artery is a deeply placed continuation of the femoral artery opening in the distal portion of the adductor magnus muscle. It courses through the popliteal fossa and ends at the lower border of the popliteus muscle, where it branches ...

rests. Of these two ridges, the lateral is the more prominent, and descends to the summit of the lateral condyle. The medial is less marked, especially at its upper part, where it is crossed by the

femoral artery The femoral artery is a large artery in the thigh and the main arterial supply to the thigh and leg. The femoral artery gives off the deep femoral artery or profunda femoris artery and descends along the anteromedial part of the thigh in the fem ...

. It ends below at the summit of the medial condyle, in a small tubercle, the

adductor tubercle The adductor tubercle is a tubercle on the lower extremity of the femur. It is formed where the medial lips of the linea aspera end below at the summit of the medial condyle. It is the insertion point of the tendon of the vertical fibers of the a ...

, which affords insertion to the tendon of the

adductor magnus Adductor may refer to: * One of the anatomical terms of motion * Adductor muscle (disambiguation) * Adductor canal The adductor canal, also known as the subsartorial canal or Hunter’s canal, is an aponeurotic tunnel in the middle third of the th ...

. From the medial lip of the linea aspera and its prolongations above and below, the

vastus medialis The vastus medialis (vastus internus or teardrop muscle) is an extensor muscle located medially in the thigh that extends the knee. The vastus medialis is part of the quadriceps muscle group. Structure The vastus medialis is a muscle present i ...

arises; and from the lateral lip and its upward prolongation, the

vastus lateralis The vastus lateralis (), also called the vastus externus, is the largest and most powerful part of the quadriceps femoris, a muscle in the thigh. Together with other muscles of the quadriceps group, it serves to extend the knee joint, moving the l ...

takes origin. The adductor magnus is inserted into the linea aspera, and to its lateral prolongation above, and its medial prolongation below. Between the vastus lateralis and the adductor magnus two muscles are attached: the gluteus maximus inserted above, and the short head of the

biceps femoris The biceps femoris () is a muscle of the thigh located to the posterior, or back. As its name implies, it has two parts, one of which (the long head) forms part of the hamstrings muscle group. Structure It has two heads of origin: *the ''long h ...

arising below. Between the adductor magnus and the vastus medialis four muscles are inserted: the iliacus and pectineus above; the adductor brevis and adductor longus below. The linea aspera is perforated a little below its center by the

nutrient canal All bones possess larger or smaller foramina (openings) for the entrance of blood-vessels; these are known as the nutrient foramina, and are particularly large in the shafts of the larger long bones, where they lead into a nutrient canal, which ex ...

, which is directed obliquely upward.

Lateral border and medial border

The other two borders of the femur are only slightly marked: the ''lateral border'' extends from the antero-inferior angle of the greater trochanter to the anterior extremity of the lateral condyle; the ''medial border'' from the

, at a point opposite the lesser trochanter, to the anterior extremity of the medial condyle.

Surfaces

Anterior surface

The anterior surface includes that portion of the shaft which is situated between the lateral and medial borders. It is smooth, convex, broader above and below than in the center. From the upper three-fourths of this surface the

vastus intermedius The vastus intermedius () (Cruraeus) arises from the front and lateral surfaces of the body of the femur in its upper two-thirds, sitting under the rectus femoris muscle and from the lower part of the lateral intermuscular septum. Its fibers en ...

arises; the lower fourth is separated from the muscle by the intervention of the

synovial membrane The synovial membrane (also known as the synovial stratum, synovium or stratum synoviale) is a specialized connective tissue that lines the inner surface of capsules of synovial joints and tendon sheath. It makes direct contact with the fibrous ...

of the

knee-joint In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...

and a bursa; from the upper part of it the

articularis genus The articularis genus (also known as the subcrureus muscle) is a small skeletal muscle located anteriorly on the thigh just above the knee. Structure It arises from the anterior surface of the lower part of the body of the femur, deep to the va ...

takes origin.

Lateral surface

The lateral surface includes the portion between the lateral border and the linea aspera; it is continuous above with the corresponding surface of the greater trochanter, below with that of the lateral condyle: from its upper three-fourths the vastus intermedius takes origin.

Medial surface

The medial surface includes the portion between the medial border and the linea aspera; it is continuous above with the lower border of the neck, below with the medial side of the medial condyle: it is covered by the vastus medialis.

References

{{Authority control Bones of the lower limb Femur