THE BONES OF THE LOWER LIMB. 



ANT. 



INTERTROCH. 

 LINE 



Fig. 132. UPPER PORTION OF RIGHT FEMUR, FROM 

 BHFORK. (Drawn by T. W. P. Lawrence.) f 



externus muscle, while close above and in front of this is the impression of the 

 obturator internus and gemelli muscles. The upper border of the great trochanter 

 is narrow, and presents an oval mark for the insertion of the pyriformis. The 



posterior border is prominent, 

 and continued into a strong 

 rounded elevation, the inter- 

 trochanteric ridge or posterior 

 intertrochanteric line, which passes 

 downwards and inwards to the 

 small trochanter, and limits the 

 neck posteriorly : above the 

 centre the ridge is thickened, 

 marking the attachment of the 

 upper part of the quadratus fe- 

 moris ; the enlargement is termed 

 the tubercle of the quadratus. 



The small trochanter, a pyra- 

 midal eminence, projects from 

 the posterior and inner aspect of 

 the bone at the junction of the 

 neck with the shaft ; its rounded 

 summit gives attachment to the 

 tendon of the ilio-psoas muscle. 

 The neck is separated from the 

 shaft anteriorly by the anterior 

 intertrocJianteric line, or upper 

 part of the spiral line, a broad 

 rough line commencing at the 

 tubercle of the femur and di- 

 rected obliquely downwards and 

 inwards a finger's breadth in 

 front of the small trochanter ; 

 it indicates the attachment of 

 the thick anterior portion of the 

 capsular ligament of the hip- 

 joint and the upper border of 

 the united crureus and vastus in- 

 ternus muscles. 



The shaft is arched from 

 above downwards, with the con- 

 vexity forwards. It is somewhat 

 narrowed in the 'middle third, 

 and becomes considerably ex- 

 panded below. Towards the centre 

 it is nearly cylindrical, but with a 

 tendency to the prismatic form, due to the projection of the linea aspera behind, and 

 a slight flattening of the surface in front ; so that it may conveniently be regarded as 

 presenting an anterior and two lateral surfaces, although definite lines separating 

 the surfaces do not exist. All three surfaces, smooth and uniform, are covered by 

 the crureus and vasti muscles. The lateral surfaces in the middle of their extent 

 approach one another behind, being only separated by the linea aspera. The linea 

 aspera is a prominent ridge, extending along the central third of the shaft 

 posteriorly, and bifurcating above and below. It presents two sharp margins or 



TUBEROSITV 



Pig. 133. LOWER END OF RIGHT FEMUR, FROM BEFORE. 

 (Drawn by T. W. P. Lawrence.) 



