ABSTRACT
Articulateswith the acetabulumof the pelvis
2. Neck:
Approximately 5 cm long Connected to the shaft at an angle
3. Greater trochanter:
Palpable at the upper lateral aspect of the femur
Formed where the upper margin of the neck meets the shaft
Serves as attachment for several muscles, notably the gluteus maximus
4. Linea aspera:
A longitudinal ridge at the posterior aspect of the shaft
In conjunction with the intermuscular septum, serves as an insertion for severalmuscles
5. Medial and lateral condyles:
Distal expansions of the shaft
B. Knee
1. Patella:
Triangular-shaped sesamoid bone of the knee encased in the quadriceps tendon
Patellar tendon or ligament extends from the apex of the patella to the tibial tuberosity
Posterior surface is smooth and articulates with the femoral condyles
Functions to protect the knee and prevents chaffing of the quadriceps tendon
C. Leg
1. Tibia:
Medial bone of the leg Proximally, has concave medial and lateral
condyles that form the tibial plateau for articulation with the femoral condyles
Tibial tuberosity is found between the condyles anteriorly and serves as insertion of the patellar tendon
The shaft is mostly subcutaneous medially Distally, forms the medial malleolus, the
tibial contribution to the talocrural/ankle joint
2. Fibula:
Lateral bone of the leg Head of fibula is subcutaneous and palpable
superolaterally
The common peroneal nerve passes posterior to the fibular head and turns anteriorly across the neck of the fibula
Has a thin slender shaft that ends in an elongated prominence (the lateral malleolus), which is the fibular component of the talocrural/ankle joint
D. Foot
1. Tarsal bones (7):
Talus-forms the ankle joint with the tibia superiorly and themalleoli laterally andmedially
Calcaneus-largest tarsal bone; makes up the heel; has a ridge posteriorly for insertion of the Achilles tendon
Navicular (scaphoid) bone-located medially, anterior to the talus and posterior to the cuneiforms
3 cuneiforms-medial, intermediate, and lateral; form the distal tarsal row
Cuboid-located lateral to thecuneiformbones
2. Metatarsals (5):
Metatarsal heads correspond to the ball of the foot
3. Phalanges:
2 phalangeal bones for the great toe 3 phalangeal bones for each of the 2nd to
5th toes
III. JOINTS
A. Knee Joint
1. Composed of two hinge joints:
Femoro-tibial joint-has two articular cartilages: the O-shaped lateral meniscus and the C-shaped medial meniscus
2. Four important external ligaments:
Patellar retinaculum-extends medially and laterally to the tibial condyles
Lateral (fibular) collateral ligament-from lateral femoral epicondyle to the fibular head; prevents adduction of the leg at the knee
Medial (tibial) collateral ligament-from medial femoral epicondyle to the tibial shaft; prevents abduction of the leg at the knee
Oblique popliteal ligament-located posteriorly; prevents knee hyperextension
3. Two important internal ligaments:
Posterior cruciate ligament-prevents anterior displacement of the femur over the tibia. A torn posterior cruciate ligament elicits a posterior drawer sign (posterior displacement of the tibia)
Anterior cruciate ligament-prevents posterior displacement of the femur over the tibia. A torn anterior cruciate elicits an anterior drawer sign (anterior displacement of the tibia)
B. Talo-Crural (Ankle) Joint
1. A hinge joint
2. Formed by the superior articular surface of the talus, which fits into a mortise composed of the tibia, lateral malleolus, and medial malleolus
3. Supporting ligaments:
Lateral collateral ligament Medial collateral ligament
IV. FASCIA AND COMPARTMENTS
The lower limb has two primary fascial layers: the superficial and the deep. The deep fascia has invaginations called intermuscular septa that divide the thigh, leg, and foot into compartments. These fascia and septa further serve as muscular attachments, either as origins or
A. Superficial Fascia
1. In the thigh and leg, the superficial fascia is mainly made up of loose areolar tissue that contains cutaneous nerves and superficial vessels.
