lOS 



BONES OF THE LOWER LIMB. 



posterior intertrochanteric line, which passes downwards and inwards to 



Fi 



96 Femur of a Male from before. 



(A.T.) i 



1 sliaft ; 2, head ; 3, neck ; 4, great tro- 

 cliauter ; 5, small trochanter ; 6, anterior 

 iater-trochanteric line; 7, internal articular 

 condyle ; 8, external articular condyle ; 9, in- 

 ternal tuberosity ; 10, external tuberosity ; 

 11, the patella articular surface ; above it, 12, ^ 

 the flat part of the femur sometimes called the 

 suprapatellar surface ; 13, the depression for 

 the tendon of the popliteus muscle. 



the small trochanter, and limits the 

 neck posteriorly. The small tro- 

 clianfer, a conical ronuded eminence, 

 projects from the posterior and inner 

 aspect of the bone, and gives at- 

 tachment to the tendon of the psoas 

 and iliacns muscles. The anterior 

 intertrochanteric line is a rongh ridge 

 limiting the neck in front between 

 the two trochanters ; it indicates the 

 superior border of the crureus and 

 vastus internus muscles, and is con- 

 tinuous beneath the great trochanter 

 with the line which limits the vastus 

 cxternus. 



The shaft is slightly arched from 

 above downwards, with the con- 

 vexity forwards. It is expanded at its 

 upper and lower ends. Towards the 

 centre it is nearly cylindrical, but 

 with an inclination to the prismatic 

 form. Its anterior and lateral sur- 

 faces, smooth and uniform, are 

 covered by the crureus and vasti 

 muscles. The elevation which sepa- 

 rates the anterior from the internal 

 surface is at the upper part strongly 

 marked and inclined forwards, giving 

 the appearance to the bone as if the 

 forward inclination of the neck were 

 produced by a twisting outwards of 

 the upper end of the shaft. The 

 lateral surfaces in the middle of their 

 extent approach one another behind, 

 being only separated by the linea 

 aspera. The li)iea aspera is a pro- 

 minent ridge, extending along the 

 central third of the shaft posteriorly, 

 and bifurcating above and below. It 

 inclines slightly inwards in the mid 



Fi: 



rm: 'n. 



m 



*)j.- 



die, so as to make the external surface of the shaft seem concave in tHat 



