140 



Anatomy of Skeleton 



trochanter, which is a rounded process projecting inwards from the back aspect of 

 the bone, for the attachment of the Ilio-Psoas : the quadrate tubercle is a rounded 

 mass in the intertrochanteric line to which the Quadratus femoris is attached. In 

 front a rough line, anterior intertrochanteric, at the junction of the neck and shaft, marks 

 the attachment of the ilio- femoral ligament : it does not reach the trochanter minor : 

 its upper end, on the front of the great trochanter, presents a prominent femoral tubercle. 

 The shaft is triangular on section in its centre, presenting inner, outer, and front 

 surfaces, separated by inner, outer, and posterior borders : the first two of these borders 

 are rounded primary edges, but the last is crowned by a longitudinally-running 

 linea aspera, a rough compound secondary crest marking the attachment of adductor 

 and other muscles. The three surfaces of the shaft are covered by the extensor 

 muscles of the knee. The linea aspera can be traced up to the level of the small 

 trochanter : outside its upper part is a rough broad ridge sometimes a depression 

 the gluteal ridge, for the Gluteus maximum : leading to the small trochanter from the 

 linea aspera is a line which may be termed the pectineal line, for insertion of Pectineus. 

 About an inch below the pectineal line the spiral line leaves the linea aspera and crosses 

 obliquely upwards and forwards over the inner surface. Traced down, the linea 

 aspera is seen to divide into inner and outer supracondylar lines, enclosing between 

 them the triangular popliteal surface of the bone : the inner supracondylar is for the 

 attachment of Adductor magnus, and leads to the adductor tubercle, which is for the 

 ischio-condylar part of the muscle and is situated on the top of the internal condyle, 

 a mass of bone that is matched on the outer side by the external condyle. Between 

 the condyles is the intercondylic notch, containing the crucial ligaments, and this notch, 

 seen best from behind, is separated from the shaft here by the intercondylic ridge 

 for the attachment of the posterior ligament covering the crucial ligaments behind. 

 The condyles have curved articular surfaces which are carried back on the posterior 

 projections of the condyles. The condyles are united in front, and their articular 

 surfaces join to form a trochlear surface for the patella : the patellar surface is marked 

 off by a more or less distinct transverse groove on each condyle from the lower or tibial 

 surface. The lower part of the shaft widens gradually to carry the condylar masses, 

 and owing to the obliquity of the shaft the inner condyle is more prominent, though 

 it does not come lower than the outer one ; but the outer condyle for the same reason 

 is more directly concerned in weight transmission, and is therefore stronger and 

 thicker. On the side of each condyle are tubercles for the lateral ligaments, and below 

 this tubercle on the outer condyle is a groove that ends in front in a pit or marking 

 for the origin of Popliteus : the tendon of the muscle is said to lie in the groove when 

 the leg is fully flexed. The femora carry the pelvis, and the weight of the trunk is 

 transmitted to each bone through the upper and back part of the acetabulum. The 

 bones articulate strongly at the hip joint. 



The Hip Joint. 



A simple ball-and-socket joint, in which the spherical head of the femur works in 

 a deep cavity, and the bones are held together not only by the atmospheric pressure, 

 that is able to act on them as a result of the close fitting of the surfaces, but also by 

 exceedingly strong transversely-arranged ligaments which are confined to the front 

 aspect of the joint and are tight in the upright position. The bony acetabulum is 

 further deepened by the fibre-cartilaginous cotyloid ligament on its rim, and this is 

 continued across the cotyloid notch as the fibrous transverse ligament. The greater 

 part of the spherical head is thus received in the cavity, and the ligamentous margin of 

 the cavity is somewhat constricted to be applied to it. Outside the cotyloid ligament 



