The intertrochanteric crest is a prominent bony ridge upon the posterior surface 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 wit ...

at the junction of the

neck The neck is the part of the body on many vertebrates that connects the head with the torso. The neck supports the weight of the head and protects the nerves that carry sensory and motor information from the brain down to the rest of the body. In ...

and the

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

. It extends between 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 ...

superiorly, and the lesser trochanter inferiorly.

Anatomy

The intertrochanteric crest is a prominent smooth bony ridge upon the posterior surface of the

at the junction of the

and the

; together with 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 greate ...

on the anterior side of the head, the intertrochanteric crest marks the transition between the femoral neck and shaft. The intertrochanteric crest extends between the

superiorly, and the lesser trochanter inferiorly; it passes obliquely inferomedially from the greater trochanter to the lesser trochanter. An elevation between the middle and proximal third of the crest is known as the

quadrate tubercle The quadrate tubercle is a small tubercle found upon the upper part of the femur. It serves as a point of insertion of the quadratus femoris muscle, along with the intertrochanteric crest and the linea quadrata. Structure The quadrate tubercle ...

Relations

The distal capsular attachment on the femur follows the shape of the irregular rim between the head and the neck. As a consequence, the capsule of the hip joint attaches in the region of the intertrochanteric line on the anterior side, but a

finger A finger is a limb of the body and a type of digit, an organ of manipulation and sensation found in the hands of most of the Tetrapods, so also with humans and other primates. Most land vertebrates have five fingers (Pentadactyly). Chambers 1 ...

away from the intertrochanteric crest on the posterior side of the head.

References

External links

* * () Bones of the lower limb Femur {{musculoskeletal-stub