160 OSTEOLOGY. 



behind, the Obturator interims and Gemelli in front. The inferior border corre- 

 sponds to the point of junction of the base of the trochanter with the outer surface 

 of the shaft ; it is rough, prominent, slightly curved, and gives attachment to the 

 upper part of the Vastus externus muscle. The anterior border is prominent, 

 somewhat irregular, as well as the surface of bone immediately below it ; it affords 

 attachment by its outer part to the Gluteus minimus. The posterior border is very 

 prominent, and appears as a free rounded edge, which forms the back part of the 

 digital fossa. 



The Lesser Trochanter is a conical eminence, which varies in size in different 

 subjects; it projects from the lower and back part of the base of the neck. Its 

 base is triangular, and connected with the adjacent parts of the bone by three 

 well-marked borders : of these, the superior is continuous with the lower border 

 of the neck ; the posterior, with the posterior intertrochanteric line ; and the inferior, 

 with the middle bifurcation of the linea aspera. Its summit, which is directed 

 inwards and backwards, is rough, and gives insertion to the tendon of the Psoas 

 magnus. The Iliacus is inserted into the shaft below the lesser trochanter, between 

 the Vastus internus in front, and the Pectineus behind. A well-marked promi- 

 nence, of variable size, which projects from the upper and front part of the neck, 

 at its junction with the great trochanter, is called the tubercle of the femur ; it is 

 tbe point of meeting of three muscles, the Gluteus minimus externally, the Vastus 

 externus below, and the tendon of the Obturator internus and Gemelli above. 

 Eunning obliquely downwards and inwards from the turbercle, is the spiral line 

 of the femur, or anterior intertrochanteric line ; it winds round the inner side of 

 the shaft, below the lesser trochanter, and terminates in the linea aspera, about two 

 inches below this eminence. Its upper half is rough, and affords attachment to 

 the capsular ligament of the hip-joint; its lower half is less prominent, and gives 

 attachment to the upper part of the Vastus internus. The posterior intertro- 

 chanteric line is very prominent, and runs from the summit of the great trochanter 

 downwards and inwards to the upper and back part of the lesser trochanter. Its 

 upper half forms the posterior border of the great trochanter. A well-marked 

 eminence commences about the middle of the posterior intertrochanteric line, and 

 passes vertically downwards for about two inches along the back part of the shaft ; 

 it is called the linea quadrati, and gives attachment to the Quadratus femoris, and 

 a few fibres of the Adductor magnus muscles. 



The Shaft, almost perfectly cylindrical in form, is a little broader above than in 

 the centre, and somewhat flattened from before backwards below. It is slightly 

 arched, so as to be convex in front ; concave behind, where it is strengthened by 

 a prominent longitudinal ridge, the linea aspera. It presents for examination three 

 borders separating three surfaces. Of the three borders, one, the linea aspera, is 

 posterior ; the other two are placed laterally. 



The linea aspera (fig. 104) is a prominent longitudinal ridge or crest, presenting 

 on the middle third of the bone an external lip, an internal lip, and a rough inter- 

 mediate space. A little above the centre of the shaft, this crest divides into three 

 lines : the most external one becomes very rough, and is continued almost vertically 

 upwards to the base of the great trochanter : the middle one, the least distinct, is 

 continued to the base of the trochanter minor ; and the internal one is lost above 

 in the spiral line of the femur. Below, the linea aspera divides into two bifur- 

 cations, which inclose between them a triangular space, the popliteal space, upon 

 which rests the popliteal artery. Of these two bifurcations, the outer branch is 

 the most prominent, and descends to the summit of the outer condyle. The inner 

 branch is less marked, presents a broad and shallow groove for the passage of the 

 femoral artery, and terminates at a small tubercle at the summit of the internal 

 condyle. 



To the inner lip of the linea aspera, its whole length, is attached the Vastus 

 internus ; and to the whole length of the outer lip, the Vastus externus. The 

 Adductor magnus is also attached to the whole length of the linea aspera, being 

 connected with the outer lip above, and the inner lip below. Between the Vastus 



