OSTEOLOGY. 87 



to wliicli gluteus externus is attaclied. Below this for a 

 short distance it is smooth, and still lower down is a deep 

 fossa which looks outwards and backwards, and is rough- 

 ened for attachment of gastrocnemius internus. It is 

 bounded by ridges, of which the outer is most prominent 

 and roughened for origin of the outer head of gastrocne- 

 mius externus ; while the other head arises from near the 

 lower insertion of biceps adductor, separated from the 

 former and from internus by the femoral artery. The 

 inner ridge is smooth. The superior extremity is divided 

 into two parts — head and trochanter major. The head 

 IS internally placed, and consists of a rounded articular 

 surface, convex in every direction, with a break in its 

 margin at the internal part, which, running upwards, leads 

 into a deep groove extending to the centre of the head, 

 roughened for attachment of ligamentum teres and the 

 pubio -femoral tendon of rectus abdominis. Around the 

 outer margin of this surface is attached the capsular liga- 

 ment of the hip-joint. From the head outwards, bounded 

 posteriorly by the trochanteric fossa, anteriorly by the 

 dilated upper extremity of the anterior surface, is a ridge 

 of bone, which externally becomes much expanded in form- 

 ing an irregularly concave surface, looking inwards, per- 

 forated by numerous foramina, to which gluteus internus 

 becomes attached. This is the inner surface of trochanter 

 major, which consists of two parts, the anterior one 

 rounded and rough, presenting on its external surface 

 centrally a smooth spot for a bursa, below which is a ridge 

 for insertion of the anterior head of gluteus maximus. 

 The ijosterior ]jart is much larger, and superiorly presents 

 a roughened extremity for attachment of another head of 

 gluteus maximus, and from this a roughened ridge forming 

 the outer boundary of the trochanteric fossa runs to tro- 

 chanter minor externus, to which ridge the third head of 

 gluteus maximus is attached. At the smooth surface between 

 trochanter major and the head ilio-femoralis is attached to 

 a thin roughed line running from above downwards. 

 The inferior limit of trochanter major and the anterior 

 margin of the ridge running to the external small trochan- 

 ter mark out the superior attachment of vastus externus. 



The inferior extremity of the femur may be divided 

 into an anterior and a posterior part. The anterior con- 

 sists of two articular ridges, which look downwards and 



