Femur Bone Anatomy: Labeled Diagram and Quiz
Femur Bone Anatomy: This lecture uses labeled diagrams and fun memory tricks to walk you through the anterior and posterior anatomy of the femur.
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Femur Bone Anatomy
The femur is a type of long bone located in the thigh and is the largest bone of the skeletal system.
The femur and/or hip may fracture secondary to trauma, so understanding the femur bone anatomy is important.
The anatomy of the femur can be divided into proximal, central, distal, and posterior parts.
We will use a color-coded labeled diagram to walk through the anatomy of the femur and the different parts of the bone.
By the end of this post, you will be able to label the anatomical features shown on the diagram below.
Every EZmed post provides you with simple tricks to remember the material, and today we will use the human stick figure trick to remember the main parts of the femur!
There is also a quiz at the end to test your knowledge and label a blank diagram on your own.
To skip right to the unlabeled diagram and quiz, click below!
Anatomy of the Femur Bone: Quiz
Let’s get started!
Femur Bone Anatomy: Labeled diagram of anterior and posterior femur.
Femur Anatomy: Stick Figure Trick
We will walk through the anatomy of the femur using the 2 views below.
The right femur is shown in both views, with the first image illustrating the anterior side and the second image illustrating the posterior side.
The posterior femur is more rough compared to the anterior side due to certain anatomical features we will discuss later.
Right Femur: Anterior view (first) and posterior view (second).
Human Stick Figure Trick
There is a simple way to remember the main anatomical features of the femur using a human stick figure as drawn below.
The different parts of the human stick figure correlate with different parts of the femur.
Let’s walk through the stick figure starting at the head (superior/proximal) and moving to the legs (inferior/distal).
Femur Bone Anatomy: Use the stick figures above to remember the main parts of the femur.
Head of the Femur - Stick Figure Head
The head of the stick figure is easy to remember as it correlates with the head of the femur.
The femoral head is the most proximal portion of the femur.
The head of the femur is ball-shaped and forms a ball-and-socket synovial joint with the acetabulum of the pelvis (hip bone).
For this reason, the femoral head is smooth and covered by articulate cartilage.
Femur Bone Anatomy: Head of the femur (green) is ball-shaped to form the ball-and-sock synovial joint with the acetabulum of the pelvis.
Neck of Femur - Stick Figure Neck
As we move distal to the femoral head, we approach the neck of the stick figure.
The neck of the stick figure is also easy to remember as it correlates with the neck of the femur.
The femoral neck is cylindrical in shape and projects in a superior and medial direction when moving proximally.
The neck of the femur connects the femoral head to the femoral body (shaft) and is surrounded by the joint capsule of the hip.
Femur Bone Anatomy: Neck of the femur (purple) connects the femoral head (green) to the femoral body/shaft (discussed below).
Trochanters - Stick Figure Shoulders
As we continue down the stick figure, we approach the shoulders.
Note how the shoulders of the stick figure form the letter “T” as shown below.
The “T” will help you remember the “Trochanters”, which are the bony protuberances located at the shoulders of the stick figure.
Femur Bone Anatomy: The trochanters (shoulders of the stick figure) form a “T”-shape to help you remember the name “trochanter”.
There are 2 bony protuberances, one located at each shoulder of the stick figure as shown below.
The bony protuberances are known as the greater trochanter and lesser trochanter.
Greater Trochanter
The larger bony protuberance located laterally is known as the greater trochanter.
It serves as an attachment point for several different muscles including the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, vastus lateralis, obturator internus, and piriformis.
The greater trochanter can be palpated on the lateral side of the thigh near the hip.
Lesser Trochanter
The smaller bony protuberance located medially and more posterior is known as the lesser trochanter.
It serves as an attachment point for the iliopsoas muscle (iliacus and psoas muscles).
Femur Bone Anatomy: The greater trochanter (orange) and lesser trochanter (yellow) are bony protuberances located on the lateral and medial sides of the proximal femur respectively.
Body of Femur - Stick Figure Body
As we continue distally down the femur, we approach the body of the stick figure.
The body of the stick figure is also easy to remember as it correlates with the body (or shaft) of the femur.
The body is fairly cylindrical in shape and makes up the majority of the femur.
Femur Bone Anatomy: The body, or shaft, of the femur (blue) is the largest part of the bone.
Condyles - Stick Figure Legs
Lastly, we are at the legs of the stick figure.
The legs of the stick figure point to rounded projections located at the distal end of the femur known as condyles.
The easy way to remember the name condyle is to imagine wrapping your hand around the condylar structure.
Your hand will form a “C-shape”.
The “C-shape” will help you remember the word “Condyle”.
The femur has 2 condyles, and their names are also simple to remember.
There is one located medially, so this is the medial condyle.
There is also one located laterally, so this is the lateral condyle.
The condyles articulate with the patella (kneecap) and tibia (shin bone) to form the tibiofemoral joint (knee joint).
The condyles also serve as an attachment point for the gastrocnemius muscle.
Femur Bone Anatomy: The medial condyle (aqua/turquoise) and lateral condyle (pink) are rounded projections located on the medial and lateral side of the distal femur respectively. Their “C”-shape can help you remember the name “condyle”.
Proximal Femur
Let’s now walk through the other anatomical features of the femur that were not discussed using the stick figure above.
We will begin with the proximal femur.
We already learned about the femoral head, femoral neck, greater trochanter, and lesser trochanter located on the proximal end of the femur.
We will now discuss the fovea capitis, intertrochanteric line, and intertrochanteric crest.
Fovea Capitis
There is a small pit or depression on the femoral head known as the fovea capitis.
The fovea capitis serves as an attachment point for the ligamentum teres, an intra-articular ligament within the medial hip joint that connects the femoral head to the acetabulum of the pelvis.
Femur Bone Anatomy: The fovea capitis (red star) is a depression on the femoral head where the ligamentum teres attaches to connect the head of the femur to the acetabulum of the pelvis.
Intertrochanteric Line
There is a bony ridge located on the anterior side of the proximal femur at the junction of the femoral neck and body, between the greater trochanter and lesser trochanter.
This bony ridge is known as the intertrochanteric line.
As the name suggests, it is a bony line/ridge located between the 2 trochanters.
The intertrochanteric line forms the base of the femoral neck and is the transition from the femoral neck to the body anteriorly.
The intertrochanteric line provides an attachment point for the joint capsule of the hip as well as the iliofemoral ligament.
Furthermore, the origin of the vastus medialis muscle is the intertrochanteric line.
Femur Bone Anatomy: The intertrochanteric line (light blue) is located on the anterior side of the proximal femur at the junction of the femoral neck and body, between the greater trochanter and lesser trochanter.
Intertrochanteric Crest
Similar to the intertrochanteric line on the anterior side of the femur, there is a bony ridge located on the posterior side of the proximal femur at the junction of the femoral neck and body, between the greater trochanter and lesser trochanter.
This bony ridge is known as the intertrochanteric crest.
Again, the name is easy to remember because it is a bony crest located between the 2 trochanters.
The intertrochanteric crest is the transition from the femoral neck to the body posteriorly.
There is a bony elevation approximately halfway along the intertrochanteric crest known as the quadrate tubercle.
The quadrate tubercle serves as the insertion site for the quadratus femoris muscle.
Femur Bone Anatomy: The intertrochanteric crest (light purple/magenta) is located on the posterior side of the proximal femur at the junction of the femoral neck and body, between the greater trochanter and lesser trochanter.
Distal Femur
Let’s now walk through the other anatomical features of the distal femur that were not discussed using the stick figure above.
We already learned about the medial and lateral condyles located on the distal end of the femur.
We will now discuss the medial epicondyle, lateral epicondyle, adductor tubercle, intercondylar fossa, and patellar surface.
Medial Epicondyle
There is a bony elevation located near the medial condyle of the femur.
This is known as the medial epicondyle of the femur.
The easy way to remember medial epicondyle is with the prefix “epi”, which means “on”, “near”, “upon”, or “on top of”.
Therefore, the bony elevation next to/on top of the medial condyle is the medial epicondyle.
Unlike the medial condyle, the medial epicondyle does not articulate with the bones in the knee joint.
However, the medial epicondyle does provide an attachment point for the medial collateral ligament of the knee (MCL).
Femur Bone Anatomy: The medial epicondyle (light green) is a bony elevation on top of/next to the medial condyle.
Lateral Epicondyle
Similar to the medial epicondyle, there is also a bony elevation located next to the lateral condyle of the femur.
This is known as the lateral epicondyle of the femur.
Unlike the lateral condyle, the lateral epicondyle does not articulate with the bones in the knee joint.
However, the lateral epicondyle does provide an attachment point for the lateral collateral ligament of the knee.
Femur Bone Anatomy: The lateral epicondyle (salmon) is a bony elevation on top of/next to the lateral condyle.
Adductor Tubercle
There is a bony protuberance on the medial condyle located superior to the medial epicondyle known as the adductor tubercle.
The medial supracondylar line (discussed in the next section) terminates at the adductor tubercle.
The adductor tubercle serves as an attachment point for the adductor magnus muscle.
The name adductor tubercle is simple to remember as it is a bony protuberance (tubercle) in which the adductor magnus attaches.
Femur Bone Anatomy: The adductor tubercle is a bony protuberance on the medial condyle located superior to the medial epicondyle.
Intercondylar Fossa
Located on the posterior side of the distal femur is a fossa (depression/notch) between the medial condyle and lateral condyle.
This is known as the intercondylar fossa (intercondylar notch).
As the name suggests, it is a fossa or notch between the 2 femoral condyles.
The intercondylar fossa is the location for 2 important knee ligaments: the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL).
The ACL attaches to the medial aspect of the lateral femoral condyle.
The PCL attaches to the lateral aspect of the medial femoral condyle.
Femur Bone Anatomy: The intercondylar fossa (red) is a notch located on the posterior side of the distal femur between the medial condyle and lateral condyle.
Patellar Surface
Similar to the intercondylar fossa on the posterior femur, there is a structure located on the anterior side of the distal femur between the medial condyle and lateral condyle.
This is known as the patellar surface, a smooth articular depression that provides articulation with the posterior aspect of the patella (kneecap).
The name patellar surface is easy to remember as it is a smooth surface that articulates with the patella.
Femur Bone Anatomy: The patellar surface (gray) is a smooth articular depression located on the anterior side of the distal femur.
Posterior Femur
As mentioned in the beginning of this post, the posterior femur is more rough than the anterior side.
This is due to anatomical structures located on the posterior femur that we will discuss in this section.
We already learned about the body (shaft) of the femur.
We will now discuss the gluteal tuberosity, pectineal line, linea aspera, medial supracondylar line, and lateral supracondylar line located on the posterior femoral body.
In order to remember these structures, we can draw another human stick figure on the posterior femur as shown below.
Femur Bone Anatomy: Use the stick figure shown on the posterior view to remember the main anatomical features of the posterior femur.
Gluteal Tuberosity - Stick Figure Head
The head of the stick figure outlines 2 structures: the gluteal tuberosity and the pectineal line.
The gluteal tuberosity is a rough bony ridge on the posterior surface of the proximal femur.
The gluteal tuberosity runs laterally above the linea aspera (discussed below) toward the base of the greater trochanter.
The name gluteal tuberosity is easy to remember because we know the gluteal (buttocks) muscles are located posteriorly; therefore, the bony elevation (or tubercle) located on the posterior aspect of the proximal femur is the gluteal tuberosity.
The gluteal tuberosity, as the name suggests, is the insertion site for the gluteus maximus muscle.
Femur Bone Anatomy: The gluteal tuberosity is a rough bony ridge located on the lateral side of the posterior femur, above the linea aspera and below the greater trochanter.
Pectineal Line - Stick Figure Head
The head of the stick figure also outlines the pectineal line (in addition to the gluteal tuberosity above).
The pectineal line is a rough bony ridge on the posterior surface of the proximal femur.
The pectineal line runs medially above the linea aspera (discussed below) toward the base of the lesser trochanter.
As the name suggests, the pectineal line serves as an attachment point for the pectineus muscle.
Femur Bone Anatomy: The pectineal line is a rough bony ridge located on the medial side of the posterior femur, above the linea aspera and below the lesser trochanter.
Linea Aspera - Stick Figure Body
As we move inferior to the gluteal tuberosity and pectineal line, we approach the body of the stick figure.
The body of the stick figure is formed by the linea aspera, a rough line extending vertically on the posterior surface of the femur.
The name linea aspera is simple to remember as it translates to “rough line”.
The linea aspera is made up of a medial lip, a lateral lip, and an intermediate line.
The linea aspera diverges at the proximal and distal ends of the posterior femoral body.
Proximally, the lateral border of the linea aspera becomes the gluteal tuberosity (mentioned above), and the intermediate line becomes the pectineal line (mentioned above).
Proximally, the medial border of the linea aspera continues into the spiral line and then continues as the intertrochanteric line anteriorly.
Distally, the medial and lateral borders of the linea aspera become the medial and lateral supracondylar lines respectively (discussed below).
The linea aspera serves as an attachment point for several muscles of the hamstring and thigh including the biceps femoris (short head), vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, adductor magnus, pectineus, adductor brevis, and adductor longus.
Femur Bone Anatomy: The linea aspera is a rough longitudinal line located on the posterior femoral body.
Medial and Lateral Supracondylar Lines - Stick Figure Legs
As mentioned above, the linea aspera diverges distally into 2 separate rough bony ridges - the legs of the stick figure.
Distally, the medial border of the linea aspera becomes the medial supracondylar line, and the lateral border of the linea aspera becomes the lateral supracondylar line.
The names are easy to remember as the supracondylar lines are located above or “superior” to the condyles.
The medial and lateral supracondylar lines serve as an attachment point for several muscles including the adductor magnus, vastus medialis, and plantaris.
The medial supracondylar line terminates at the adductor tubercle (discussed above).
The medial and lateral supracondylar lines form the lateral margins of the popliteal fossa, the site for several nerves and blood vessels including the popliteal artery, popliteal vein, tibial nerve, common fibular (peroneal) nerve, posterior femoral cutaneous nerve, and small saphenous vein.
Femur Bone Anatomy: The linea aspera diverges distally into the medial and lateral supracondylar lines.
Quiz Yourself!
Now that you have learned the main anatomical features of the femur, it’s time to test your knowledge!
Use the blank diagram below to label the parts of the femur discussed above, then check your answers below!
Femur Bone Anatomy: Quiz yourself and fill in the blanks! Check your answers below!
Femur Bone Anatomy: Quiz answers.
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