HUMAN ANATOMY &

PHYSIOLOGY I

SKELETAL SYSTEM 2
STRUCTURE & FUNCTION OF LOWER
LIMB

DR WAN SAFWANI WAN KAMARUL ZAMAN

 PARTS AND REGIONS OF THE LOWER LIMBS

 Gluteal region － between iliac crest

superiorly and gluteal fold inferiorly
 Thigh － between hip and knee
 knee － joint between leg and thigh
 Leg － between knee and foot
 Ankle
 Foot
 BONES OF THE
LOWER EXTREMITIES
 From proximal to distal, the leg
begins with the femur, the longest
and strongest bone in the body.

 Proximally, the head of the femur

extends from the pelvic girdle at
the acetabulum.

 The major ligaments that provide

integrity to this joint are the
pubofemoral ligament, tendon of
the rectus femoris muscle and the
strongest and most important, the
iliofemoral ligaments.
 BONES OF THE LOWER
LIMBS
• Arrangement & number is similar to
those in upper limb.

• Adapted for weight bearing and

locamotion.

• Contains 30 bones:
1 femur – femoral region
1 patella – patellar region
1 tibia & 1 fibula – crucal region
7 tarsal bones – ankle & proximal foot
5 metatarsal bones – arch of foot
14 phalanges - toes
 FEMUR
• Longest, strongest & heaviest

• Spherical head of femur

articulates with pelvis at
acetabulum.

• Fovea capitis – tiny ligament

connects the acetabulum to a
depression in head.

• Neck joins shaft of femur at

angle
- medial angling brings knees
closer to midline.
 FEMUR: PROXIMAL END
INSERTION SITES

• Greater trochanter
lateral from junction of
neck & shaft.

• Lesser trochanter
located on femur’s
posteromedial surface.

• Insertion sites of hip

muscles.
 FEMUR: LINE OF ATTACHMENT

• Intertrochanteric crest connects greater &

lesser trochanter on posterior.

• Intertrochanteric line extends between 2

trochanters & marks distal edge of hip joint
capsule on anterior.

• Pectineal line
* inferior to intertrochanteric crest
* marks attachment of pectineus muscle.

• Gluteal tuberosity
* marks the attachment of gluteaus
maximus.
 FEMUR: SHAFT
• Prominent feature is on posterior.

• Linea aspera
# Midline ridge
# Attachment site for thigh muscles
# Divide into 2: 1) Medial
2) Lateral

• Medial lip – terminates with

adductor tubercle
- attachment for adductor magnus
muscle.

Popliteal surface
• Popliteal surface – flattened
triangular area.
 FEMUR: DISTAL END
• On inferior surface, 2 smooth oval
surfaces
1) Medial condyle
2) Lateral condyle
Condyles continue from posterior
to anterior to form patellar surface

• Superior to these surfaces..

1) Medial epicondyle
2) Lateral epicondyle
Medial & lateral supracondylar
lines terminates at epicondyles.

• Intercondylar fossa – separates

condyles on posterior surface.
 PATELLA
• Patellar surface – patella articulates
with femur.
• Triangular seisamoid bone
• Location: within tendon of quadriceps
femoris (QF) muscle.
• Function:
1) Allows tendon QF to move
smoothly
2) Protects knee joint.
• Posterior aspect – articular surface
connects with femur.
 TIBIA & FIBULA
• In the crural region/leg.

• Connected by interosseous membrane.

Function: Stabilizes position of tibula & fibula.

• Tibia
- medial position, thick & strong
- weight bearing
- superior head: medial & lateral condyles
separated by intercondylar eminence.
- anterior surface – tibial tuberosity mark
attachment site for patellar ligament.
- distally – forms medial malleolus.
- postlateral side – fibula notch fibula merge
& forms tibiofibular joint.
 TIBIA & FIBULA
• Fibula
- long, thin, lateral bone
- does not bear any weight
- origin for several muscles
- connects with tibia at lateral edge
- head – inferior & posterior to lateral
condyle.
- connects with tibia at articular facet.
- distal tip – lateral malleolus extends to
ankle joint
- provide stability.
 TARSALS, METATARSALS & PHALANGES

o Bones that form ankle & foot.

o There are 26 bones in the foot

o 7 tarsals , 5 metatarsals, 14 phalanges

 TARSALS
• Analagous to eight carpal bones of
wrist.

• Integrated into structure of foot – help

ankle bear bear body’s weight.

Proximal row bones

• Calcaneus (forms the heel)

– largest tarsal bones
- posterior end – attachment site
for Achilles tendon.
• Talus (ankle bone)
- second largest
- merge with articular surface of
tibia.
• Navicular
- medial side of ankle
 TARSALS
Distal row bones

• Formed by 4 tarsal bones

• Cuneiform bones (3 bones)

- positioned anterior to navicular
bone.
- medial cuneiform, intermediate
cuneiform, lateral cuneiform.
- articulates proximally to with
anterior surface of navicular
bone.

• Cuboid bones
- articulates with lateral
cuneiform & calcaneus
 METATARSALS
• Form the sole of foot

• Identified with Roman numerals

I – V (left to right).

• At distal – each bone articulates

with proximal phalanx.

• Head of Metatarsal I has 2

seisamoid bones – insertion site
for tendons of flexor hallucis
brevis muscle.
 PHALANGES
• Bones of the toes.

• Hallux – great toes & consists of

1 proximal & 1 distal phalanx.

• Other 4 toes – consists 3

phalanges – proximal, middle &
distal.
 ARCHES OF FOOT
Function : 1) Support weight of body
2) Prevent blood vessels & nerves
of foot from pinched when
standing.

Shape: 1) Maintain by foot bones

2) Strong ligaments attach to bones
& contracting muscles.

1) Medial longitudinal arch

• Extends from heel to great toe
• Calcaneus, talus, navicular, cuneiform
bones & metatarsals I – III.
• Highest
• Prevents medial side from touching
ground.
ARCHES OF FOOT
2) Lateral longitudinal arch
• Contribute to footprint
• Extends between little toe to heel
• Calcaneus, cuboid, metatarsals IV –
V.
• Elevates lateral edge of foot to
redistribute body weight.

3) Transverse arch
• Perpendicular to longitudinal arches
• From distal row of tarsals (cuboid &
cuneiforms) & bases of all 5
metatarsals.
 ARTICULATIONS (JOINTS)
• Place that connects – bones articulate at a joint.

• Classification of joints according to structure:

1) fibrous joint, 2) cartilaginous, 3) synovial

• Classification according the extent of movement:

1) synarthrosis, 2) amphiarthrosis, 3) diarthrosis

1) Fibrous joints 1) Gomphoses – peg in socket (synarthrosis)

2) Sutures – immobile (synarthrosis)
3) Syndesmoses – dense regular connective tissue (amphiarthroses)

2) Cartilaginous 1) Synchondroses – hyaline cartilage (synarthroses)

2) Symphases – pad of fibrocartilage between articulating bones
(amphiarthroses).

3) Synovial – diarthrosis
SYNOVIAL JOINTS
JOINTS OF THE LOWER LIMB
 Proximal Tibia + Fibula
 Plane
 Gliding
 Synovial

 Distal Tibia + Fibula

 Slight “give”
 Fibrous

 Ankle (Tibia/Fibula + Talus)

 Hinge
 Uniaxial
 Synovial