THE FEMUR 



243 



MEDIAL 



HEAD OF GAS 

 TROCNEMIUS 



PLANTARIS 

 LATERAL 



HEAD OF GAS- 

 TROCNEMIUS 



POSTERIOR CRUCIATE 

 LIGAMENT 



ANTERIOR CRUCIATE 

 LIGAMENT 



ATTACHMENTS 

 OUT. 



OF MUSCLES 



to this usually on the medial side of the body, immediately in front of the medial lip of the 

 linea aspera. 



The anterior and lateral aspects of the body are covered by, and furnish surfaces 



for, the origins of the vastus lateralis and vastus intermedius. The medial aspect is 



covered by the vastus medialis. 



The distal extremity of the femur comprises the two condyles and epicon- 



dyles. The condyles are two recurved processes of bone, each provided with an 



articular surface, and separated behind by a deep 

 intercondyloid fossa. United in front, where their 

 combined articular surfaces form an area on which 

 the patella rests, the two condyles differ from each 

 other in the following respects : If the body of the 

 bone is held vertically, the medial condyle is seen 

 to reach a more distal level than the lateral ; but, 

 as the femur lies obliquely in the thigh, the con- 

 dyles are so placed that their distal surfaces lie in 

 the same horizontal plane. Viewed on their distal 

 aspect, the medial condyle is seen to be the 

 narrower and shorter of the two. The lateral 

 condyle is broader, and advances farther forward 

 and to a more proximal level on the anterior sur- 



FIQ. 241. POSTERIOR ASPECT OF DISTAL face of the shaft. The intercondyloid fossa reaches 

 PORTION OF THE EIGHT FEMUR WITH forwards as far as a transverse line drawn through 

 - MAPPED the centre Qf the ^^ condyle Itg gides are 



formed by the medial and lateral surfaces of the 

 lateral and medial condyles respectively, the latter being more deeply excavated, 

 and displaying an oval surface near its distal and anterior part for the attachment 

 of the posterior cruciate ligament of the knee-joint. On the posterior and proximal 

 part of the medial surface of the lateral condyle there is a corresponding surface for 

 the attachment of the anterior cruciate ligament. The floor of the notch, which is 

 pierced by numerous vascular canals, slopes proximally and 

 dorsally towards the popliteal surface on the back of the 

 body, from which it is separated by a slight ridge (linea inter- 

 condyloidea) to which the posterior part of the capsule of the 

 knee-joint is attached. 



Epicondyles. The cutaneous aspect of each condyle (i.e. 

 the lateral surface of the lateral condyle and the medial 

 surface of the medial condyle) presents an elevated rough 

 surface called the epicondyle, the medial (epicondylus medialis) 

 projecting more prominently from the line of the body ; capped 

 proximally by the adductor tubercle, it affords attachment 

 near its most prominent point to the 

 fibres of the tibial collateral ligament of 

 the knee-joint. The epicondylus lateralis 

 (lateral epicondyle), less pronounced Surface for t he 

 and lying more in line with the lateral attachment of 



, , . , n i i i i the fibular col- 



surlace of the body, is channelled behind lateral ligament 



by a curved groove, the distal rounded 



lip of which serves to separate it from 



the distal articular surface. This groove 



ends in front in a pit which is placed 



just distal to the most salient point of the 



tuberosity ; hereto is attached the tendon of the popliteus muscle, which, in the 



extended position of the joint, overlies the distal lip of the groove, which is often 



indented for it, but slips into and occupies the groove when the joint is flexed. 



Dorsal to the most prominent part of the lateral epicondyle, and just proximal to 



the pit for the attachment of the popliteus, the fibular collateral ligament of the 



knee-joint is attached, whilst proximal to that there is a circumscribed area for 



the origin of the tendinous part of the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle. 



Groove for 

 tendon of 

 popliteus 



FIG. 242. DISTAL END OF THE RIGHT FEMUR 

 (Lateral Side). 



