In
human anatomy, the thigh is the area between the
hip (
pelvis) and the
knee. Anatomically, it is part of the
lower limb.
The single
bone in the thigh is called 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 ...
. This bone is very thick and strong (due to the high proportion of
bone tissue), and forms a
ball and socket joint at the
hip, and a modified
hinge joint at the knee.
Structure
Bones
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 ...
is the only bone in the thigh and serves as an attachment site for all muscles in the thigh. The
head of the femur articulates with the
acetabulum
The acetabulum (), also called the cotyloid cavity, is a concave surface of the pelvis. The head of the femur meets with the pelvis at the acetabulum, forming the hip joint.
Structure
There are three bones of the ''os coxae'' (hip bone) that c ...
in the
pelvic bone forming the
hip joint, while the
distal part of the femur articulates with the
tibia
The tibia (; ), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outside of the tibia); it conn ...
and
patella
The patella, also known as the kneecap, is a flat, rounded triangular bone which articulates with the femur (thigh bone) and covers and protects the anterior articular surface of the knee joint. The patella is found in many tetrapods, such as ...
forming the
knee. By most measures, the femur is the strongest bone in the body. The femur is also the longest bone in the body.
The femur is categorised as a
long bone and comprises a
diaphysis,
the shaft (or body) and two
epiphysis or extremities that articulate with adjacent bones in the hip and knee.
Muscular compartments
In cross-section, the thigh is divided up into three separate compartments, divided by
fascia, each containing muscles. These compartments use the femur as an axis and are separated by tough
connective tissue membranes (or
septa). Each of these compartments has its own
blood
Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in the cir ...
and
nerve supply, and contains a different group of
muscles.
*
Medial fascial compartment of thigh, adductor
*
Posterior fascial compartment of thigh, flexion,
hamstring
*
Anterior fascial compartment of thigh, extension
Anterior compartment muscles of the thigh include
sartorius, and the four muscles that comprise the
quadriceps muscles-
rectus femoris,
vastus medialis,
vastus intermedius and
vastus lateralis.
Posterior compartment muscles of the thigh are the
hamstring muscles
In human anatomy, a hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in between the hip and the knee (from medial to lateral: semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris). The hamstrings are susceptible to injury.
In quadrupeds, ...
, which include
semimembranosus,
semitendinosus, and
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 ...
.
Medial compartment muscles are
pectineus,
adductor magnus,
adductor longus and
adductor brevis, and also
gracilis.
Because the major muscles of the thigh are the largest muscles of the body, resistance exercises (strength training) of them stimulate blood flow more than any other localized activity.
Blood supply
The arterial supply is by the
femoral artery and the
obturator artery. The lymphatic drainage closely follows the arterial supply and drains to the lumbar lymphatic trunks on the corresponding side, which in turn drains to the
cisterna chyli.
The deep venous system of the thigh consists of the
femoral vein, the proximal part of the
popliteal vein
The popliteal vein is a vein of the lower limb. It is formed from the anterior tibial vein and the posterior tibial vein. It travels medial to the popliteal artery, and becomes the femoral vein. It drains blood from the leg. It can be assessed ...
, and various smaller vessels; these are the site of proximal
deep venous thrombosis
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a type of venous thrombosis involving the formation of a blood clot in a deep vein, most commonly in the legs or pelvis. A minority of DVTs occur in the arms. Symptoms can include pain, swelling, redness, and enla ...
. The ''venae perfortantes'' connect the deep and the superficial system, which consists of the
saphenous veins (the site of
varicose vein
Varicose veins, also known as varicoses, are a medical condition in which superficial veins become enlarged and twisted. These veins typically develop in the legs, just under the skin. Varicose veins usually cause few symptoms. However, some indi ...
s).
Clinical significance
Thigh weakness can result in a positive
Gowers' sign on physical examination.
Regarding
Sports injury, whether
acute
Acute may refer to:
Science and technology
* Acute angle
** Acute triangle
** Acute, a leaf shape in the glossary of leaf morphology
* Acute (medicine), a disease that it is of short duration and of recent onset.
** Acute toxicity, the adverse ef ...
or from
overuse, a thigh injury can mean significant incapacity to perform.
Soft tissue injury can encompass
sprains,
strains,
bruising
A bruise, also known as a contusion, is a type of hematoma of tissue, the most common cause being capillaries damaged by trauma, causing localized bleeding that extravasates into the surrounding interstitial tissues. Most bruises occur close ...
and
tendinitis.
Runner's knee
Runner's knee may refer to a number of overuse injuries involving pain around the kneecap (patella), such as:
*Patellofemoral pain syndrome
*Chondromalacia patellae
*Iliotibial band syndrome
*Plica syndrome
Plica syndrome is a condition that occ ...
(
Patellofemoral pain): is a direct consequence of the kneecap rubbing against the end of the thigh bone (”
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 ...
”). Tight hamstrings and weak thigh muscles, required to stabilize the knee, risk development of runner's knee.
Food
The thigh
meat of some animals such as
chicken and
cow is consumed as food in many parts of the world.
Society and culture
Western societies generally tolerate clothing that displays thighs, such as
short shorts and
miniskirts
A miniskirt (sometimes hyphenated as mini-skirt, separated as mini skirt, or sometimes shortened to simply mini) is a skirt with its hemline well above the knees, generally at mid-thigh level, normally no longer than below the buttocks; and a ...
.
Beachwear and many
athleisure styles often display thighs as well. Professional dress codes may require covering up bare thighs.
Many
Islamic countries disapprove of or prohibit the display of thighs, especially by women.
Strategic covering or display of thighs is used in popular fashion around the world, such as
thigh-high boots
Thigh-high boots, known also as thigh-length boots or simply thigh boots, are boots that extend above the knees to at least mid-thigh. Other terms for this footwear include '' over-the-knee boots'' (abbreviated OTK boots; the full term is also u ...
and ''
zettai ryoiki''.
Additional images
Thigh muscles front.png, Front of thigh muscles from Gray's Anatomy of the human body from 1918.
Thigh muscles back.png, Back thigh muscles of the gluteal and posterior femoral regions from Gray's Anatomy of the human body from 1918.
Gray432.png, Cross-section through the middle of the thigh.
File:Sobo 1909 573-574.png, Also showing major blood vessels and nerves.
Thigh_cross_section.svg, Cross-section through the middle of the thigh.
Gray436.png, The Obturator externus
References
{{Authority control
Lower limb anatomy