Femur, also called 

thighbone, upper bone of the leg or hind leg. The

head forms a ball-and-socket joint with the hip (at the acetabulum),
being held in place by a ligament (ligamentum teres femoris) within
the socket and by strong surrounding ligaments. In humans the neck
of the femur connects the shaft and head at a 125° angle, which is
efficient for walking. A prominence of the femur at the outside top of
the thigh provides attachment for the gluteus medius and minimus
muscles. The shaft is somewhat convex forward and strengthened
behind by a pillar of bone called the linea aspera. Two large
prominences, or condyles, on either side of the lower end of the femur
form the upper half of the knee joint, which is completed below by
the tibia (shin) and patella (kneecap). Internally, the femur shows the
development of arcs of bone called trabeculae that are efficiently
arranged to transmit pressure and resist stress. Human femurs have
been shown to be capable of resisting compression forces of 800–
1,100 kg (1,800–2,500 pounds).

The femur in humans is long and relatively slender or delicate; in the

great apes it is shorter, more curved, and more robust.
The orangutan lacks a ligamentum teres femoris, allowing for nearly
complete rotary action of the lower limb but decreasing strength and
stability.
human and gorilla legs compared
Skeletal and muscular structures of a human leg (left) and a gorilla leg (right).

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The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated
by  Adam Augustyn, Managing Editor, Reference Content.
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