THE FEMUR. 



119 



and slightly forwards, being 

 set upon the shaft at an angle 

 of about 125. The neck is 

 expanded from above down at 

 its base,where it meets the shaft 

 obliquely, but compressed from 

 before back, so that the vertical 

 diameter greatly exceeds the 

 antero-posterior ; the summit 

 becomes more rounded, and is 

 somewhat enlarged again as it 

 joins the head. It is shorter 

 above and in front than below 

 and behind. On its posterior 

 surface there may usually be 

 recognized a shallow horizontaj 

 groove,, in which the tendon of 

 the obturator externus lies. 

 The head forms more than half 

 a sphere, and is covered with 

 cartilage in the fresh state. 

 Behind and below its central 

 point is a small oval depression, 

 the fore part of which gives 

 attachment to the interarti- 

 cular ligament of the hip-joint. 

 In the hollow there are often 

 one or two small vascular 

 foramina. 



The great trochanter is a 

 thick truncated process pro- 

 longed upwards in a line with 

 the external surface of the 

 shaft. In front it is marked 

 by the insertion of the gluteus 

 minimus. Externally an ob- 

 lique line directed downwards 

 and forwards indicates the in- 

 ferior border of the insertion 

 of the gluteus medius muscle ; 

 and lower down the surface is 

 bounded by a horizontal line, 

 which is continued upwards on 

 the front of the trochanter to 

 an eminence at the junction 

 with the neck, the tubercle 

 of the femur ; this line marks 

 the upper limit of the vastus 

 externus. Internally at its 

 base, and rather behind the 

 neck, is the trochanter ic or 

 digital fossa, which gives at- 

 tachment to the obturator 



FOSSA OF 



INTERARTIC 



LICT. 



POST. CRUCIAL L.ICT 



CIAL. LICT. 



LAR NOTCH 



Fig. 131. RIGHT FEMUR, FROM BEHIND. (Drawn by 

 T. W. P. Lawrence.) f. 



